


A Semester Abroad

by ScienceFantasy93



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Annabeth Chase & Piper McLean Friendship, College AU, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Jasiper, M/M, Percy and Jason bromance, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Traveling the world, mentions of abuse, percabeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2020-07-27 10:56:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 42,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScienceFantasy93/pseuds/ScienceFantasy93
Summary: Piper looked every bit as excited as Percy did as she pulled her laptop back. “So, if I apply our discounts…” She typed in all the information, which included their full names, the college they attended, and their GPAs, and hit the enter button. A moment later, their total popped up.Annabeth’s jaw dropped. It was cheap. Not dirt cheap, but cheap enough that they had pretty much no excuse not to go and travel the world. All three of them looked hopefully at Jason, who was staring at the screen.“All we have to do is book our flights to Lima, and home,” Piper said carefully, not taking her eyes off Jason. “That’s it.”“Well?” Percy asked Jason impatiently. “What’re we doing, dude? Are we going or not?”Jason nodded. “We’re going.”One semester. Nineteen countries. Three continents. One tour group. Four friends. Countless new experiences. The numbers don't lie. Piper, Jason, Annabeth, and Percy are in for the trip of a lifetime.





	1. The Big Idea

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! This is a college AU multi-chapter story, though very little of it actually takes place at college. I decided to send Piper, Jason, Percy, and Annabeth off on an adventure around the world, and so far this story has been a lot of fun to write. I hope it's even more fun to read! :)

_August 13th_  
  
Piper rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes and groaned. She was so pissed at herself right now. This was _not_ what she’d had in mind for her summer. And it was all her fault.  
  
She sat in the college library, her literature textbook sprawled out in front of her, a notebook and pen cast off to one side. At the next corner of their square table sat Annabeth, Piper’s roommate. Annabeth was chewing on the end of a pencil as she skimmed the same paragraph in her architecture textbook over and over, her eyes glazing over. Piper knew that look well. It was the same look she’d been fighting off for the last hour.  
  
Piper groaned again. “I hate this. I can’t concentrate. I can’t focus. Why did I think this would be a good idea?”  
  
“You’ve got a paper due on Milton on Friday,” Annabeth reminded her. “So we agreed that studying would be the smart move.”  
  
“Not that. Although, may I just say that I _hate_ Milton? He can take his _Paradise Lost_ and shove it up his ass.”  
  
Annabeth’s lips twitched. She’d listened to her friend complain about her English literature class, her theatre class, and her anthropology class, for the last two and a half months. Piper knew she was starting to sound like a broken record, but she couldn’t help it. This was the last term before the official start of her junior year of college, and she had yet to decide what she wanted to major in. Everyone else she knew had already declared a major – hell, Annabeth had declared _two_ majors: Architecture and business. Piper’s other best friend, Jason, had decided to major in prelaw, with a goal of becoming a prosecuting attorney. She knew that even Jason’s roommate, Percy, who generally had a I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, had decided on a major – marine biology. And that left Piper, flailing around without a clue or a compass to point her in the right direction. Since Annabeth had decided to get the first few basic classes of her majors out of the way during the summer term, Piper had figured that she could stay and join her. She’d opted to take classes that had sounded interesting, but hadn’t fit into her general requirements for the first two years. She enjoyed the theatre class to an extent. Her dad was an actor, and Piper had decided to see if theatre interested her at all. It did – but more as a hobby. Anthropology fascinated Piper – but she couldn’t understand the biological aspects of it. And English literature bored her. She’d enjoyed lit classes in high school, but something about this course just sucked all the fun out of reading. She hated symbolism, she hated allegories, and she hated this class.  
  
“Fine,” Annabeth said, leaning back in her chair. “So you hate the summer semester. Fair enough. But you did want to explore some more options, see if there was anything that you missed while taking classes for your associate’s art degree.”  
  
“And so far, I haven’t missed much. And I’m no closer to figuring out what I want to major in then I was a year ago.”  
  
“Sure you are. You can now rule out English, anthropology, and theatre.”  
  
“Thanks, that’s real helpful.” Piper bookmarked her spot in her textbook and closed it carefully. She was hoping to resell it once this term was done. Textbooks were so expensive, and she had come to the conclusion that she could put her money to better use literally anywhere else. None of her textbooks had been particularly useful.  
  
She yanked her laptop out of her messenger bag and booted it up. A study break was in order. She needed mindless social media, but she didn’t feel like trying to scroll through Facebook or Instagram on her phone.   
  
“Look,” Annabeth leaned forward, “maybe you just need to take fall semester off. Take some time to think. Or just take one class so you can keep our apartment on campus. Take something else that interests you. What classes did you really enjoy while you were working on your AA degree?”  
  
Piper groaned. She clicked on her preferred browser and logged into Facebook. “I don’t know. I liked that history class I took. The kickboxing classes I took for my PE credits were fun. That music class was cool. I liked my social science class a lot. But I don’t know. Nothing really stood out to me.”  
  
“Huh.” Annabeth slumped back against her chair. She had abandoned studying for the time being as well. She sipped on her coffee and rubbed her temples. “Shit. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but all this studying is giving me a headache. These are supposed to be the _easy_ classes. And I already feel overwhelmed. How the hell am I supposed to get through the next two years like this?”  
  
Piper shook her head as she scrolled through Facebook. Maybe she wasn’t so jealous of Annabeth. After all, Annabeth had two very neurotic parents to impress. Her mother taught ancient history, art, and archaeology at freaking Yale. Her father jumped around between universities, but he was also a professor of history, and specialized in World Wars 1 and 2. He was currently teaching at Stanford while he conducted research on a scholarly paper he’d been working on for the past two years. Annabeth’s parents were really putting the pressure on her, especially since Annabeth had chosen a smaller private college that wasn’t as well-known. While the school she and Piper were at was still considered an excellent college, it generally wasn’t compared to Stanford or Yale.  
  
“I chose this school so that I _wouldn’t_ get too stressed or overwhelmed,” Annabeth continued on.  
  
“Also so your parents couldn’t hover over your shoulder every five seconds,” Piper added.  
  
“That, too.” Annabeth sighed. “I guess I did this to myself. I just thought – shit. I just thought if I majored in two really strong fields, maybe, just maybe…” She trailed off with a shake of her head. “I don’t even know anymore.”  
  
Piper’s scrolling through Facebook was interrupted by a sponsored ad: _Paradise Journey – A semester abroad! Perfect for college students! Group discounts! Europe! South America! Asia! Book Today_!  
  
Out of curiosity, Piper clicked on the link to Paradise Journey’s Facebook page. It looked pretty standard. There were posts about the deals they had going on, pictures of college students hanging out on a beach in Greece or hiking through mountains in Peru. She saw posts from ecstatic college students, raving about their experiences and their travels. “_So easy_!” “_They arrange everything for you, so there’s no worry_! _The traveling was simple_!” “_You can’t beat the price – or the experiences_!” “_I took a semester off just to travel, and I’m so glad I did. Paradise Journey really helped me find myself and figure out what I want to do._”  
  
That last review grabbed Piper’s attention. That sounded exactly what she needed.  
  
She knew these reviews were probably falsified – the people who worked for Paradise Journey had probably posted them – but at the same time, Piper felt as if she had just struck a perfect chord. Annabeth was right. She did need to take a semester off. She needed to travel, to explore.  
  
Her dad was a famous actor and her mother was a supermodel-turned-owner of the woman’s magazine, _Aphrodite_ – named after her mother, of course. Piper should, by rights, have been well-traveled by now. But she’d spent most of her childhood in LA or Malibu, hiding out from the paparazzi and trying to keep herself out of trouble. She’d been to New York City, where her mother’s magazine headquarters were located, but that was about it. While her father had filmed numerous movies abroad, Piper had always had school. But she’d always itched to travel. She’d wanted to see the world, and she’d even contemplated taking a year off after graduating high school so she could. But neither of her parents had loved the idea, and in the end Piper had decided that it would be smarter and more responsible to just start college right on schedule.  
  
But now she was regretting it.  
  
She had no plan. No map. No nothing. A semester off from school would be good, especially if she was traveling and – what was the term? Oh yeah. _Finding herself_.  
  
She got onto their official website and checked out their different traveling options. There were choices for South America, Asia, and Europe, as their ad had boasted. Piper selected Europe, and saw a dropdown box that asked her to choose the length of trip she wanted: 3-5 days, 1-2 weeks, 2 weeks-1 month,-1 month-and-longer. She clicked on the last option.  
  
There were a few choices, but she opted for the longest one – it lasted from September 2nd until January 2nd. Four months. Four months would be perfect. And this particular trip was named _Tour the World_ – it spanned from South America to Europe to Asia. That would be amazing.  
  
From there, she checked the reviews, making sure that it was a real, legitimate company, and not just a scam for gullible college students braindead from final exams. She read through several reviews and articles about it, making sure that they were sources she trusted, and came to the conclusion that this was, in fact, legitimate. They seemed to specialize in traveling for college students, and tried to keep the costs relatively minimal. They were essentially a tour group through whatever country or continent that was chosen – you would travel with a group of people along with a couple of tour guides, going from city to city. It was well-structured, but there were several outings for each city, and you could choose which one or just do your own thing. You just had to stay in the same hotel with your tour group, and catch the same plane or train or boat as them. And Paradise Journey took care of booking all the transportation and hotels. All she had to do was pay.  
  
But even as her excitement piqued, she felt a bubble of anxiety began to spread through her stomach. She wanted to do this. She wanted to do this so damn bad. But she didn’t want to do it alone.  
  
She glanced at Annabeth, who was still muttering darkly to herself. An idea began to form in her head. It was crazy and there was no way in hell it would work out, but as she clicked on the link for the group discounts, she knew she had to try.  
  
“You’re right,” she said to Annabeth. “I do need to take a semester off. But maybe you do, too.”  
  
“What?” Annabeth looked at her in confusion. “What are you talking about?”  
  
“Think about it.” Piper leaned towards her. “You’re just as stressed as I am. You’re already overwhelmed with classes. Clearly you need to take some time off, too. And I’ve got the perfect thing.” She turned her laptop towards Annabeth. “A four-month trip around the world.”  
  
Annabeth laughed. “You can’t be serious. That’s practically a whole semester. I can’t take that time off from college. My whole plan will be pushed back – “  
  
“One semester. That’s – what – six months? If that? So you’ll graduate six months later than you planned. But at least you’ll have had the time off from school to clear your head. You’ll have these experiences under your belt. And it might even put things into perspective for you. I mean, clearly you’ve got some issues with your parents and with your majors. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to step away from everything. And what better way to do that then traveling around the world for four months?”  
  
“You’re crazy,” Annabeth decided. “You’re fucking nuts. If you think I’m going to – “  
  
“You’re stressed and overwhelmed. And you’re already burnt out from double majoring, and it’s only the first semester. You need a break. You said yourself, you spent high school working to get perfect grades, and you’ve done the same the last two years. Have you ever just taken time for yourself?”  
  
“Have you?” Annabeth shot back.  
  
Piper grinned. “No. And that’s why I want to do this. If I don’t know what I want to do with my life, then clearly I don’t know myself very well. And I should get to know myself better. Don’t you think?”  
  
“I mean, yeah. Of course.”  
  
“But wouldn’t taking some time away from school and stress and your parents benefit you, too? Just taking a breather for a few months? And you’d still be learning. Here, read this blurb for the trip I’m looking at.” Piper pushed her laptop towards Annabeth, who dutifully read through the trip description and itinerary. “I mean, you could learn how to make pasta in Italy, Annabeth. You could walk through Rome, and see all the architecture in Greece that you love so much. You’d actually be experiencing what your mom teaches. Think about it.”  
  
Piper knew from the way Annabeth slowly exhaled that she was in. Annabeth reread the itinerary, and slowly nodded. “I hate when you make good points. They always fuck with my plans.”  
  
Piper grinned. “That’s what I’m here for. You need someone like me. You’re so balanced and organized. And I’m neither.”  
  
“Okay, but this whole thing is still expensive. I know my parents have money, and God knows your parents do, but this is still pricey.”  
  
“Yeah, but we could get a group discount. With four people or more, we get twenty-five percent off the whole trip.” Piper pulled out her phone to do the calculations, before telling Annabeth how much they would owe if they used the group discount. “That’s a pretty big difference.”  
  
“It is,” Annabeth agreed. “But who else is going on this trip with us?”  
  
Piper grinned again. “I might be able to get Jason to come along.”  
  
“Jason?” Annabeth cracked up. “Piper, I know Jason’s your best friend, but no offense, he’s even more straight-laced than I am. He’s got a major stick up his ass.”  
  
“Yes, but that’s why we’re best friends. I’m the free spirit. He keeps me in check, and I make sure he has fun once in awhile. And he’s definitely been stressed the last couple of semesters. And I might even be able to get Percy, Jason’s roommate to come with us.”  
  
“Percy?” Annabeth furrowed her brow. “I don’t know him, do I?”  
  
“I don’t think so. I’ve really only seen him when I watch their swim practices or meets. He’s cool. He’s got some authority issues, but he’s a nice guy.”  
  
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. “And you think Percy will want to come with us?”  
  
Piper shrugged as she scooted her chair back and stood up. “It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?”  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
“Where do you think? Jason and Percy should be finishing swim practice soon, and I’ve got to ambush them while I’ve got the chance.”  
  
“But – “  
  
“Keep an eye on my laptop and bag for me, would you?”

* * *

Piper strolled down the rolling green hill towards the pool. It was located just a street over from the football and soccer fields, and it was a short walk from the library. The southern California day was bright and sunny, and Piper turned her face up to soak in the sun.  
  
What would it be like to actually leave southern California for longer than a week? What would the weather be like in Europe? What would the scenery be like in South America? Would the beaches in Asia be even more amazing than the beaches here?  
  
Piper had so many questions, and she intended to get answers to them. But first, she had to get Jason and Percy to agree to her plan. And that was going to be even harder than getting Annabeth to go along with it. Jason and Percy were both on the swim team. While Jason, like Annabeth and Piper, had opted to take classes this summer – he’d been of the same mindset as Annabeth, going into the summer term with the intention of knocking out some of the more basic classes for his major – Percy had gone home to New York City for a couple months, until he’d been due back a week ago so the swim team could begin training again. It was mid-August now, and the summer semester would be wrapping up in a couple weeks. This meant that the boys would have to let their coach and team captain know they would be dropping out for the semester _fast_. And even then that was iffy. Percy was on a swim scholarship. Piper wasn’t sure his scholarship would hold out if he missed a semester. Plus, he might not be able to afford the trip. By contrast, Jason’s mom was a good friend of Piper’s dad. Beryl Grace was nearly as famous as Tristan McLean, and Jason had grown up trying to avoid the spotlight like Piper. They had met on set for a rom-com Tristan and Beryl had shot together, and had ended up going to the same schools. They had even lived in the same neighborhood for a time. As a result, they were practically inseparable.  
  
Piper pushed into the pool’s lobby and made her way through the door that led to the pool. She perched on one of the bleachers. She shivered slightly. It felt as if the pool’s AC was on full blast, and she wore destroyed denim shorts and an olive green tank top. Her dark brown hair was braided down one side, and she wore an ancient pair of flip-flops that she was pretty sure she’d gotten from Old Navy. She crossed her legs and arms, hoping to warm up.  
  
Out in the pool, the team was just finishing up laps. Piper spotted Jason’s blond hair flashing against the water. His arms seemed to slice through the water like it was nothing, towing his body along. She loved watching him swim. It was the only time he ever really seemed to be at peace. He loved the competition of the sport, but ultimately he just enjoyed swimming. And Piper suspected it was the same with Percy. It was why Jason and Percy got along so well.  
  
And sure enough, in the next lane there was Percy, a little ahead of Jason. He reached the wall first and surfaced, shaking water out of his face. He glanced up at the bleachers and spotted Piper. “Yo, McLean! What brings you here?” He offered her a friendly grin, and Piper smiled back.  
  
“You guys almost done?”  
  
“Just about.” Percy pulled himself out of the water and grabbed his towel. “Just waiting for the others to finish.”  
  
A big guy with a serious face but kind eyes passed Percy with a nod. “Nice work out there, Jackson.”  
  
“Thanks, Beckendorf,” Percy replied with a grin. “Our captain,” he added for Piper’s benefit. “He’s cool. He’s one of the best swimmers I’ve ever seen.”  
  
At that moment, Jason hauled himself out of the pool, shaking the water out of his blond hair. As Piper looked down at him, she found herself tracing the smooth lines of his muscles with her gaze. He had a really nice body, she noticed. Not so muscular that he looked beefy, but he certainly wasn’t the scrawny little boy he’d been in middle school. Her heart seemed to _ping_ and she bit her lip as she watched him grab his towel to dry off. And then he glanced up at her, and she quickly remembered who she was ogling. This was _Jason Grace_, her best friend since she was 10. God, what was wrong with her?  
  
“Pipes!” Jason cried, face breaking out into a huge grin. “What’re you doing here? I thought you were going to spend the day in the library with Annabeth.”  
  
“I was. And then I had a brilliant idea.” Piper got to her feet and made her way carefully down the bleachers until she stood in front of the boys. “So, you know how I’ve been struggling to come up with a major?”  
  
“Of course,” Jason nodded. He had spent more than a couple nights staying up with Piper, trying to come up with a possible major for her.  
  
“Well, Annabeth suggested I take a semester off to really think about what I want. And I’ve decided to take her advice. And I talked her into taking it, too.”  
  
Jason furrowed his brow. “Pardon?”  
  
“Okay, have you ever heard of Paradise Journey?”  
  
“I have,” Percy spoke up. “They offer tours abroad for college kids, right?”  
  
Piper nodded. “Exactly. So, they have a world tour. Well, sort of. It goes from South America to Europe to Asia, and back to Europe. It goes for four months. I think the first few weeks you’re in South America, and then you travel to Europe for a couple months. Then you spend a month in Asia, and then it’s back to France for Christmas and New Years.”  
  
“Sounds fun,” Jason commented. “And you and Annabeth are going?” He still sounded skeptical.  
  
“And you and Percy, if you guys want a break from school.” Piper supposed she sounded overly hopeful. But she loved the idea of traveling the world with Jason at her side. And Percy would probably be fun to have along for the ride. He’d probably even get along with Annabeth. They’d balance each other out the way she and Jason did.  
  
Jason stared at Piper like she’d just announced she’d decided to swim the Atlantic in January. “I can’t take a break from school! I’m prelaw. There’s no way I can take a semester off. That would put me behind by – “  
  
“Maybe six months at most,” Piper said patiently. “Honestly, you sound just like Annabeth. And you’re every bit as overwhelmed and burned out and drained as she is. Taking a semester off to go and travel the world would do you some good. Probably you, too,” she added to Percy.  
  
Percy shrugged. “I’m down.”  
  
“We can’t – you can’t – we have the swim team!” Jason blustered out.  
  
“So? We can take a semester off from that,” Percy replied. “We’re not the only ones who’ve done that. Beckendorf will understand. He did it last year. We’ve got a strong swim team. And we don’t even have any major meets until spring. This would be the perfect time to go.”  
  
“But what about your scholarship?”  
  
“The school will hold my scholarship until spring semester. And Paradise Journey offers a discount if you’ve got a 3.6 GPA or higher. And I’ve got a 3.7,” Percy added with a grin. “It’s the first time I’ve ever had such a good GPA, but there you go.”  
  
“There’s also a twenty-five percent discount if you’ve got a group of four or more,” Piper said eagerly.  
  
“See?” Percy said to Jason. “It’s perfect. We should totally do this.”  
  
“But – “  
  
“You were just whining last night that you’re so tired and so steamrolled. Piper’s right. You need to take some time off from school.”  
  
“How’s your mom going to react when you tell her you’re taking a semester off to go travel the fucking world?” Jason demanded of Percy.  
  
“She wanted me to do that when I was 18, like she did,” Percy shrugged. “You know her, she’s a writer. A free spirit. But we didn’t have enough money for me to do that. Well, now we do. She’s got a couple of books published, and one of them is being turned into a TV show on HBO. Yeah, we’re not rich or anything yet, but she’s not going to freak out if I tell her I’m using my savings to take some time for myself.”  
  
“But – “  
  
“Jason, I’ve been working since I was 12, delivering newspapers, working in restaurants, any place that would give me a job. I could use a break, too. I think we all could. So, let’s do it. We’re only young once, right?”  
  
“But – but – “ Jason looked like he wanted to argue more, but couldn’t come up with anything else.  
  
“Jason,” Piper said softly, taking a step closer to him, “is this something you want to do?”  
  
Caught off guard, he nodded.  
  
“Good. Then let’s do it," she said. "The four of us. Let’s have the time of our life.”  



	2. Bubble Tea and Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth is cool with traveling around the world. Especially if Percy's coming along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hey, this is the second chapter! Thanks for the comments and the kudos! I'm loving the response :)

_August 13th (continued)_  
  
Annabeth knew when Piper walked out of the library, shoulders thrown back confidently, chin out determinedly, that if anyone could convince Jason Grace to drop everything – college, prelaw, swim – and travel around the world that it would be her. She knew no one was closer to Piper than Jason, and vice-versa. Annabeth also knew that part of the reason she and Jason got along so well, besides the fact that they were both so close to Piper, was because they were so much alike. They were both very goal-oriented, organized, and ambitious. But Jason also had a sense of duty and righteousness that would ensure that he would be a damned good prosecuting attorney. Annabeth believed in studying hard and doing her best. But she also agreed with Piper – sometimes you just needed to step away from it all.  
  
But as far as she knew, Jason had no such thoughts. Jason would stay in college until he graduated from law school if it killed him.  
  
And so, Annabeth was slightly surprised when, not even an hour after Piper had abandoned their table and her stuff, she returned with Jason and a dark-haired boy in tow. Piper stopped in front of the table with a satisfied smile on her face. “I convinced them.”  
  
“Color me impressed,” Annabeth admitted as she peered up at Jason and the other boy – Percy. He must have been Percy, Jason’s roommate. “I didn’t think you could do it.”  
  
Piper grinned. “I’m many things, but a quitter is not one of them.”  
  
“In other words, she’s damn stubborn and bossy,” Jason grumbled, arms crossed.  
  
Piper’s grin widened. “Damn straight, sparky, and don’t you forget it.”  
  
Annabeth shook her head before half rising to her feet to hold her hand out to Percy. “Hi. I’m Annabeth. I guess we’re going to be traveling the world together.”  
  
Percy took her hand with a grin, the corners of his sea green eyes crinkling. “Hi Annabeth, I’m Percy. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from those two.” He nodded towards Piper and Jason.  
  
“All good, I hope?”  
  
“Very good.” He took the chair next to hers, his arm lightly brushing against her arm, and Annabeth felt her heart skip a beat. He was cute, there was no denying that. She couldn’t believe how green his eyes were, like pictures of the Caribbean she had seen online. But with his messy dark hair and piercings, he looked like every wannabe skater bad boy she’d gone to high school with. Except that, somehow, he was so much better. She thought she could see a hint of a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve of his t-shirt, and she bit her lip. The boys she’d dated had always been straight-laced and preppy, like the Abercrombie and Fitch models. Her ex-boyfriend, Luke Castellan, was a perfect example of that. Of course, he’d turned out to be a total dickhead, so there was that.  
  
Annabeth crossed her bare legs under the table. She knew she looked cute in her short-sleeved skater dress, but she still felt nervous. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a guy as hot as Percy. He could even rival Luke in looks, just in a completely different way. Preppy vs. skate punk…she could get behind that.  
  
Piper and Jason sat down as well, and Piper gave Annabeth a sideways look, a knowing smile playing around her lips. No doubt once they got back to their apartment Piper would be grilling Annabeth about Percy. But for now they were here in the library, and Annabeth could keep her thoughts to herself.  
  
Annabeth tucked a wayward blonde curl behind her ear as she looked at Piper. “So…we’re all here.”  
  
“Yeah,” Piper nodded. “I thought it’d be a good idea to look over the itinerary for the trip. You know, make sure we’re all behind this, all game. It’s a huge commitment. We’re talking about a semester away from school. It’s not such a big deal for me, since I don’t even know what I want to major in. But Jason and Annabeth, you guys have already started, and I know you’re due to start taking classes for your major when the fall semester starts, Percy.”  
  
“Yeah, but this is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Percy responded. “Once we graduate, we’re going to hope that we can find a job that goes with our degrees. We won’t have time to go and travel the world for a quarter of a year. So, let’s do it.”  
  
Annabeth took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right,” she said to Percy. “We’ve got to do this now, while we have the time. I’m in.”  
  
Everyone turned to Jason, who shifted awkwardly. He swallowed before saying, “I do want to do this. I’m just – I’m really nervous. Can we look at the itinerary before I say anything else?”  
  
“Sure,” Piper agreed. She grabbed the laptop she’d left on the table and pulled it towards them. “See? On September 2nd, we’ll fly down to Lima, Peru, where we’ll spend a week. From there, we’ll spend a week each in Belize and Costa Rica. On the 25th, we’ll fly to London, where we’ll spend a week in the United Kingdom. From there, we’ll spend a week in Germany, just in time to catch the end of Oktoberfest. We’ll go on to spend a couple of weeks in Scandinavia. We’ll spend the last week of October in the Netherlands, and the first week of November in Italy, and then another week in Greece. We’ll spend a week in India, Japan, China, and Thailand each, and then we’ll finish up in France.”  
  
“Damn,” Percy let out a low whistle. “That’s quite the itinerary.”  
  
“Yeah. There’s going to be a lot of flying. But sometimes we’ll be taking a train or a boat, too,” Piper explained. “See? It has all the information here.” She let Annabeth and Percy look at the laptop. Annabeth had already gone through the itinerary, but she examined it all the more closely. She felt a tingle of excitement. She’d wanted to see Italy and Greece for years. The architecture and history was amazing. But she also had Scandinavian roots on her dad’s side. She’d felt desperate for years to connect with her heritage, something that was nearly impossible in California. While her dad had grown up in Boston, where the Nordic culture was prominent, Annabeth had never even gotten the chance to visit. And now she had the opportunity to visit Norway and Sweden.  
  
She glanced at Percy, and noticed that his eyes were alight with excitement.  
  
“My dad’s Greek,” he explained. “And Italian. I really want to visit those countries.”  
  
Annabeth smiled. It was nice to know that someone else wanted to connect with their roots. She looked over at Piper. Piper was half-Cherokee on her dad’s side, and had struggled for years to make sense of her heritage. Her dad tried to ignore it, but Piper was hellbent on embracing it. She had even traveled to Oklahoma the summer before to spend a couple months with her relatives.  
  
Piper looked every bit as excited as Percy did as she pulled her laptop back. “So, if I apply our discounts…” She typed in all the information, which included their full names, the college they attended, and their GPAs, and hit the enter button. A moment later, their total popped up.  
  
Annabeth’s jaw dropped. It was cheap. Not dirt cheap, but cheap enough that they had pretty much no excuse not to go and travel the world. All three of them looked hopefully at Jason, who was staring at the screen.  
  
“All we have to do is book our flights to Lima, and home,” Piper said carefully, not taking her eyes off Jason. “That’s it.”  
  
“Well?” Percy asked Jason impatiently. “What’re we doing, dude? Are we going or not?”  
  
Jason nodded. “We’re going.”  
  
“Sweet!” Piper cheered. “So I’ll just put this all on my credit card, and you guys can pay me back later. Sound good?”  
  
Everyone agreed, and Piper began entering her credit card information. She looked at the others. “I’m doing it.”  
  
“Do it,” Annabeth, Percy, and Jason all said together.  
  
Piper slowly, deliberately, pressed the enter button. A moment later a message stating that her payment had gone through and that they were now booked for the Four Month World Adventure popped up.  
  
From there, Piper got into expedia.com to book their flight to Peru on September 2nd, and back from Paris on January 2nd. This time Jason whipped out his credit card, and Piper passed him the laptop.  
  
After checking the e-mail confirmation for everything, Piper grinned. “It’s official, guys. In less than three weeks, we’re going abroad.”  
  
Annabeth couldn’t believe how hard she was smiling. Despite her reservations, despite the fact that this would knock her whole plan off track, despite what her parents would have to say, she was _excited_. She couldn’t freaking wait.

* * *

Annabeth grabbed dinner with the others that evening. They talked about all the different things they wanted to do over Thai food and bubble tea. Piper and Jason, who were both into nature, wanted to go on as many hikes as possible, while Percy was eager to check out the food and the beaches. Annabeth just wanted to admire the different types of architecture, and soak up all the history and culture. She couldn’t wait to see the ruins of Machu Pichu and Lamanai in Peru and Belize respectively, and visit the Acropolis in Greece.  
  
“There’s supposed to be a really good waterfall in Costa Rica,” Piper commented as she twirled a forkful of vegetarian Pad Thai around her fork. “La Fortuna Waterfall, I think it’s called. I totally want to hike there.”  
  
Jason had his phone propped up against his water glass as he looked up fun facts. “There’s supposed to be a plunge pool and a hot springs near La Fortuna.”  
  
“Sweet. We should totally go for a swim. I’m definitely feeling that bikini I bought last spring and never got the chance to wear.” She grinned and took a sip of her matcha bubble tea. “Stupid summer classes.”  
  
“Do you think you’re going to go on the hike to La Fortuna?” Percy asked Annabeth coyly. “The plunge pool sounds great.”  
  
Annabeth fought back a blush as she wondered if Percy was trying to figure out if she’d be wearing a bikini or not. Shit, she had to stop. She was going to be on a trip with Percy for _four months_. If something went wrong, they’d be stuck with each other for the remainder of the trip. But that didn’t change the fact that he was way too cute for his own good. Or that she was dying to get to know him.  
  
“I might go on the hike,” Annabeth replied, just as coyly. “I like the sound of the plunge pool and the hot springs.”  
  
“Then we’re on the same page,” he said with a grin.  
  
“What’re you excited for?” Piper asked Jason.  
  
“Honestly? The whole thing,” he admitted sheepishly. “I know I kind of dug my heels in, but I’m really psyched about this. Though I still think we’re risking a lot.”  
  
Piper shrugged. “That’s your opinion. Have you talked to your mom or sister yet?”  
  
“No. I’ll do that tonight.”  
  
Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She would have to call her parents when she got back to the apartment. She wasn’t looking forward to that.  
  
Piper’s ankle nudged her under the table, getting her attention. “We should go shopping and see what sort of end-of-summer deals we can find,” she suggested to Annabeth. “You need a new bikini, for one thing, though I guess we could find something on Amazon.”  
  
“We’ll go this weekend,” Annabeth assured her. “I’m sure we can find plenty of stuff.” She turned back to her Swimming Rama chicken and took a bite. There was no point in worrying about what her parents would say. Even if they yelled at her, there was nothing they could do. She was spending her own money on this trip, and it was already pretty much paid for. They could be as disappointed as they wanted; it couldn’t affect her, not really.  
  
Piper excused herself to go use the restroom, and Jason decided he needed to wash his hands as well.  
  
Once they were gone, Percy turned to Annabeth. “How are your parents going to react to this?” he asked her. “I noticed you got a little tense when Piper asked Jason if he’d talked to his family.”  
  
Annabeth sighed. “Probably not well. My mom is a professor at Yale and my dad is a professor at Stanford. They’re not going to be happy that I’m ‘abandoning my education’ to go have fun.”  
  
“You’re not really abandoning your education,” Percy pointed out. “You’re just taking some time off.”  
  
“That’s not how they’ll see it. But I’ll call them tonight. They won’t be thrilled, but they’ll just have to deal.” She paused. “What about your parents? How are they going to feel about this?”  
  
“They’ll both be cool about it. They’re pretty laidback. My dad is the captain of a cruise ship, so he’s all for traveling. And my mom…well, she traveled when she was younger. She’d wanted me to get the chance before I went off to college, but we couldn’t afford it.” He bit his lip. “We didn’t have much money until a couple years ago, when she got her first book published.”  
  
“Oh. That sucks,” Annabeth said sympathetically.  
  
Percy shrugged. “That’s life. My ex-stepdad was a piece of work, who spent more than he ever took in, but my new stepdad handles money really well. So that helps a lot.”  
  
“I guess it would.” She finished the rest of her strawberry bubble tea. “I never really had to deal with money issues,” she said carefully. “But I know what it’s like not to get along with your stepparents.” Percy looked at her sharply. “My stepmom and I have never seen eye to eye. And I doubt we will on this. She thinks her sons are perfect, and I’m a fuck up. They’re in high school now, and I almost never get to see them. It seems like every time I go up to San Francisco, where she and my dad live, my stepmom has whisked them away on some vacation. I’m pretty sure she does it on purpose. She never wanted them around me, thought I’d be a bad influence or something.” She hesitated. “My parents never married, and my mom was so busy with her career that she kind of just dropped me off on my dad’s doorstep, so to speak. Basically told him to take care of me.”  
  
“That’s fucked up,” Percy stated with a clenched jaw. “What kind of mother – “  
  
“My mother,” she sighed. “I mean, after a couple years she realized she wanted to be in my life. At the time, my dad was living in Virginia, so I’d spend the school year with him, and spend school breaks with her. Now if I want to see her, I have to fly across the country. She never comes to visit me.” She paused and then blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start ranting. I guess I just have some parental issues.”  
  
“No worries,” he assured her, “I do, too. Once I start, I don’t stop.”  
  
“Piper’s kind of like that, too. She and her mom don’t really get along. And she and her dad have their issues.”  
  
“Jason gets along with his parents for the most part, but he has some issues with his dad,” Percy told her. “I think everyone kind of has issues with their parents. But definitely some more than others.”  
  
“Definitely,” Annabeth nodded, cupping her chin in her hand.  
  
Piper and Jason returned a minute later, and Piper urged them to splurge on dessert – coconut ice cream. By the time they paid and stumbled out of the restaurant, they were all stuffed.  
  
“I won’t be able to eat for a week,” Annabeth announced with a laugh. “But at least the food was delicious.”  
  
“The company wasn’t too bad, either,” Percy said with a smile in her direction. She suddenly felt warm all over, as if the sun had come out from behind a cloud.  
  
“Well, I need to head home,” Jason said. “I’ve still got homework to do, besides the conversation with my mom and sister.”  
  
The others agreed, and so Jason and Percy went one way, and Annabeth and Piper went the other. They walked the two blocks back to their apartment, enjoying the late evening air.  
  
Piper nudged Annabeth teasingly. “It seems like you and Percy were really hitting it off.”  
  
“He’s nice,” Annabeth hedged. “And cute. But I don’t know. I haven’t dated anyone in ages, and Percy…he seems a little rough around the edges.”  
  
“So? Rough around the edges can be good. It means you’ll never be bored with him.”  
  
“I guess that’s true. But still. We’re going to be traveling the world together. What if something happens and things don’t work out? Then we’re stuck with each other for who-knows-how-long.”  
  
“That’s a chance you’re just going to have to take,” Piper said with a shrug. “But he seems to like you. And if you like him, then you should think about it. It doesn’t have to be anything serious.”  
  
“Says the same girl who had more hookups than dates last year,” Annabeth teased.  
  
Piper winced. “Okay, point taken. But the hookups were fun while they lasted. And I didn’t want anything serious. Do you?”  
  
Annabeth paused, mulling that over. They were just coming into view of their apartment when she said, “I guess I don’t really know what I want. I just know I’m attracted to Percy.”  
  
“And sometimes that’s enough.”  
  
They headed up to their apartment. Annabeth kicked off her sandals and made her way to her room. She checked the time. It was nearly 8pm now, which meant it was almost 11pm in Connecticut. Her mom might still be up, if she didn’t have an early class in the morning.  
  
She hit the button to call her mom. The phone rang once…twice…three times. And then she heard her mom’s voice answer: “Hello, Annabeth. Aren’t you calling a bit late?”  
  
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Annabeth said apologetically. The last thing she wanted was to get on her mom’s bad side when she was already about to drop a bomb. “Did I wake you up?”  
  
“No, I haven’t gone to bed yet. I actually just got home from having dinner with some of my colleagues. We had such a wonderfully scintillating conversation…Anyway, why are you calling?”  
  
Annabeth took a deep breath. “I’ve got something to tell you.”  
  
“Are you pregnant?”  
  
“What? No! I’m not pregnant. I don’t even have a boyfriend right now.”  
  
“Well, that’s something,” her mom said dryly. “At least you’re not throwing your whole future away for a boy.”  
  
“I would never do that.” Annabeth sank down onto her bed. “You should know me better than that.”  
  
“I suppose I should. But if you’re not pregnant, then what’s so urgent that it couldn’t wait until morning?”  
  
“I’m taking fall semester off to travel the world with some friends.” The sentence came out in a rush; the words felt jumbled and mismatched, but there they were, echoing through her phone.  
  
“You’re _what_?” Her mom’s voice grew sharp. “Annabeth Chase, if you think I’m going to let you do something so stupid and crass – “  
  
“You can’t let me do anything,” Annabeth retorted, feeling slightly as if she was dancing back out of her mother’s reach like a child trying to keep an extra piece of candy. “I’m an adult. And I need a break from school. I’ve worked my ass off since high school, and especially the last two years. I’m tired. I’m 20-years-old and I’m tired, Mom. I need a break. And so, I’m going on a trip around the world for four months.”  
  
“Don’t you even think about booking the flight!”  
  
“Too late. The arrangements are already made.”  
  
“And who do you think you’re going with?”  
  
“Piper McLean – “  
  
“Who?”  
  
“My roommate, Mom! We’ve been roommates for the last two years, remember?”  
  
Her mom grunted in response.  
  
“Whatever. Piper, her best friend Jason, and his roommate, Percy.”  
  
Her mother snorted. “And which one of them are you sleeping with?”  
  
“Mom!” Annabeth cried, outraged. “I’m not sleeping with anyone! Look, we got a group discount. And we all really want to do this. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she continued on. “When else am I going to get the chance to do something like this? When I’m so bogged down with a career that I can’t even leave work an hour early? When I’m married with a family? When I’m too old to even walk up a flight of stairs without throwing out my hip? _When_, Mom? Tell me, because I’d really like to know.”  
  
She could almost visualize her mom pursing her lips in disapproval. “Do what you want, Annabeth. But just remember that it was your choice to throw your whole future away.”  
  
“I’m not throwing my whole future away,” Annabeth snapped. “I’m not – “ She suddenly realized there was complete silence on the other end. She pulled her phone away and saw that the call had ended. Her own mother had hung up on her. “Well, screw her,” Annabeth sighed. “That went about as well as I expected.”  
  
She called her dad next.  
  
“Hi, Anna-banana!” he greeted her, using his old pet name for her.  
  
“Hey, Dad,” she said, smiling a little.  
  
“What’s up?”  
  
“I’ve got some news for you. And don’t freak out – please. I just told Mom and she hung up on me. But…I’m taking the fall semester off to go travel the world with some friends.”  
  
“With Piper?”  
  
At least her dad remembered who Piper was.  
  
“And Jason and his roommate, Percy. We got a group discount.”  
  
“And how much are you paying?”  
  
Annabeth told him. “That’s with our good GPA discount.”  
  
“Sounds reasonable.” Her dad sighed. “Look, Annabeth, this isn’t what I had in mind for you. But you’ve worked so hard. And you deserve a break and some fun. So go off and explore. Just keep me updated.”  
  
“I will,” Annabeth assured him, feeling her whole body relax.  
  
“So, where are you all going?”  
  
And with that she was off, telling him about all the countries they were traveling to and all the places they wanted to see. He listened, occasionally asking a question. At last they hung up, and when Annabeth checked her phone’s call log, she saw that they’d spoken for over an hour.  
  
Not bad.  
  
She ventured back out to the living room, and found Piper sprawled out on the couch, her dark hair loose and falling into her brown eyes. She was scrolling through her phone, probably on Instagram. She looked up when Annabeth walked in.  
  
“Hey. How’d it go?”  
  
“Well, my mom hung up on me,” Annabeth told her as she collapsed on the other end of the couch. “But my dad’s cool with it. He just wants me to keep him updated on everything.”  
  
“Your mom seriously hung up on you?” Piper repeated, sitting up and swinging her legs off the couch. “Wow. No offense, but your mom is a serious bitch.”  
  
“Tell me about it. Anyway, did you tell your parents?”  
  
“Yeah. They’re not thrilled, but they’re handling it. They agree that if I don’t know what I want to major in, then there’s no point in me continuing school until I do.”  
  
“Sounds like they’re being reasonable.”  
  
“Yeah. I’m not sure how Jason’s parents are going to react. Like, his mom is cool for the most part. His dad can be pretty overbearing, so he might have take issue with this. But Jason’s older sister is awesome. So there’s that. He probably won’t have as much trouble.”  
  
“I don’t think Percy will either,” Annabeth commented. “He told me his parents are really easygoing.”  
  
Piper smiled. “Wow. You two have already talked about your families? Sounds serious.”  
  
Annabeth grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it. “Shut up.”  
  
Piper giggled, shoving the pillow away. “I’m totally going to be maid of honor at your wedding.”  
  
Annabeth shoved Piper. “Fuck off, McLean.”  
  
Piper made kissing sounds at her. “You know you love me.”  
  
Annabeth grabbed the pillow and hit her again. “Set your alarm.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“We’re hitting the gym tomorrow.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“We just ate a huge fucking dinner of Thai food and ice cream. Not all of us can eat a shit ton of food and look good.”  
  
“Hey, size doesn’t matter. It’s what’s inside that counts.”  
  
“I don’t care. We’re going to the gym tomorrow morning. If you want to go hiking and not collapse, you’re going to need to be in good shape.”  
  
Piper fell silent at that. After a moment she spoke. “Fuck, you’re right. Shit. Okay, we’ll go to the gym first thing tomorrow morning.”  
  
“Good.” Annabeth stretched out. Today had felt so surreal. She couldn’t believe any of this was happening. And to think, it was just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :) Right now the chapters are alternating between the girls' POVs, but the guys will have their say as well. As of right now my goal is to update around early to mid-week, on a weekly basis, so keep an eye out for the next chapter :)


	3. Packing and Plane Rides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The countdown has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the lovely response to the last chapter! This is kind of a filler chapter, but things happen. Just a quick note: I have not flown in almost ten years, so if I got anything wrong, my apologies!

_September 1st – 2nd_  
  
The rest of August seemed to alternate between flying by, and slowing down to a snail’s crawl. As promised, Piper and Annabeth began hitting the gym the following morning. But they weren’t the only ones. Jason and Percy had apparently decided that swim practice wasn’t brutal enough for their fitness goals. Piper found herself staring more and more at Jason while they were working out. He usually wore a tank top, which showed off his tanned, muscular arms. She’d never actually thought of his arms as tanned or muscular before, but suddenly she found herself watching him as he performed bicep curls or lateral raises. She loved hearing him grunt during the last few reps, when he was really feeling the burn. At first she couldn’t understand why, but then she realized that it made her think of other things – more primal things. Sex. With him.  
  
And that was not okay.  
  
He was her best friend, and she couldn’t be perving on him, no matter how hot he’d gotten.  
  
As promised, that Saturday she and Annabeth hit the stores in town and managed to find some killer deals. They both ended up getting new bikinis, along with hiking gear, shorts, tops, jeans, sweaters, and winter coats, since they’d be in Europe during the fall. Piper secured international sim cards for all of them, and made sure that their passports were all up to date. She also researched different cuisines to check on the vegetarian options for her, and the gluten free options for Annabeth, who had celiac disease.  
  
Of course, that was all when she wasn’t doing homework.  
  
With their GPAs ensuring that they’d get the discount on the trip, they all threw themselves into their studies. Piper found herself studying with Annabeth in the library so much that she began to feel like they should be paying rent. Jason and Percy spent a lot of time in the library as well, and it got to the point where they would all just sit at the table they had used when they’d been discussing the trip, not speaking for hours at a time, just submerged in a comfortable silence as they studied. Piper often spotted Annabeth and Percy shooting each other glances surreptitiously, but never really saying anything. She could feel the attraction between them, but Annabeth maintained that she wasn’t sure if she wanted a relationship or not, and she didn’t want to screw up their trip by having a casual fling with Percy. And so Piper left it alone. For now, anyway.  
  
At last, finals were done with, and their grades were posted. They had all managed to keep their GPAs at a 3.7 or higher, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their discount would hold.  
  
Jason and Percy had managed to get permission to take a leave of absence from the swim team, and all four of them had let the school know that they would be gone for the semester.  
  
The last weekend of August Piper felt as though she might lose her mind. She and Annabeth were trying to get everything packed and ready by September 2nd, which was that Monday. They had to stock up on their birth control pills (they’d both had to get prescriptions filled), toothpaste, new toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, frizz control (for Annabeth), sunblock, sanitary pads and tampons for when they did get their periods, stick-on heating pads for cramps, and any other number of things that they could take with them. All that, plus their clothes. And they could only have so many bags with them, since they didn’t want to constantly be shuffling huge suitcases around.  
  
At 10pm on Saturday night, Piper’s phone buzzed with a new text from Jason: **Meet you at the usual spot?**  
  
Piper smiled and replied, **Be there in 5**.  
  
She threw a hoodie on over the workout shorts and tank top she’d been wearing, pushed her feet into her flip flops, and told Annabeth she’d be back in a bit. She walked the few short blocks to the football field. Jason was already sitting up in the bleachers.  
  
For as long as Piper could remember, school sports stadiums had been their “spot”. They had both played soccer in middle school and high school, so they were comfortable with sport arenas. They would meet up in the bleachers after a game once everyone had left just to talk and be with each other. When they were in middle school, they would bring sodas and candy bars. When they hit high school, they would bring wine coolers or beer, and chips. If the game had gone well, they’d celebrate together, talking excitedly and cracking loopy jokes. If the game had sucked, they would commiserate with each other, speaking quietly and bad mouthing the other team.  
  
Even though neither of them played any stadium sports now in college, they still considered the football stadium to be their own.  
  
Piper hadn’t been surprised to get the text from Jason. Whenever he was nervous or anxious about something, be it a first date, a final exam, or a swim meet, he would ask to meet her at the football stadium. And this was a little bit bigger than a first date. This was massive, especially for the guy who had done everything right his whole life, and had never strayed off the beaten path.  
  
Piper climbed the bleachers and sat down next to Jason. He wordlessly handed her a can of beer, and she popped it open. “Where’d you get this?” she asked offhandedly.  
  
“A guy in my apartment hooks Percy and me up a couple times a month.”  
  
“How much does he charge?”  
  
“More than the beer is worth, but sometimes you just need it.”  
  
Piper clucked her tongue before taking a sip. The sour liquid was warm, sliding smoothly down her throat. “Buying beer on the black market. Shame on you.”  
  
Jason laughed, and offered her a bag of _Flamin’ Hot Cheetos_. She took a generous handful.  
  
“I can’t always be good, you know,” Jason said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself more than her.  
  
“Sure you can,” Piper replied. “You always have. But I’m glad you’ve got a wild side.” She raised her beer can in the air. “Even though I’m betting Percy’s the one who paid for the beers.”  
  
Jason stuck her tongue out at her. “Shut up, McLean. You suck.”  
  
“Only if you ask nicely,” she shot back cheekily, before realizing what she’d just said.  
  
Jason let out a bark of surprised laughter. “You did not just say that!” he cried, giving her a playful shove.  
  
“I’m pretty sure I did. Dude, you should see your face!” Piper managed to get out through hard giggles. “It’s redder than the _Cheetos_.”  
  
“Fuck off, McLean.”  
  
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Grace?” She shoved him back, before grabbing another handful of the chips. “Seriously, though. How are you doing with this? With the trip happening in just a little more than twenty-four hours?”  
  
“Honestly? I’m really nervous. I talked to my advisor yesterday, and we figured out a game plan for when I get back. But, if I take an extra class each semester, I can graduate on time.”  
  
Piper pulled a face. “I still don’t understand what’s wrong with graduating a semester late. _I’m_ going to be graduating _at least_ a semester late.”  
  
“Yeah, but that’s different. I’ve had my plan mapped out since I was 14. You know that. I’ve always known I’m going to study law. And I always planned to go to Stanford Law School by the time I’m 22. And I can do it, Piper. I’m going to. I’m going to show my dad – “ He broke off, his voice cracking.  
  
“You’re going to show your dad just how amazing and awesome and smart and wonderful you really are,” Piper told him firmly. She set her can of beer aside and licked the hot cheese powder of her fingers. “But you don’t have to do everything he does, Jason. You can do some things differently than him. You already are. I can pretty much guarantee that Zeus of Zeus Corp. never took a semester off to go travel the world. And I know how hard this is for you, how difficult a decision it was for you to make. I’m so proud of you, Jace.”  
  
“My father has certain expectations of me, Piper,” Jason sighed. “He always has. And I’ve always met them. I can’t just stop – I almost never get to see him. He’s never been proud of me, not really, except for when I told him I want to go to law school and become a prosecuting attorney.”  
  
“So, fuck what your father thinks,” Piper retorted. “It’s not him who has to live your life. It’s you. So ignore him. Put him out of your mind for the next four months. I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll be a lot happier that way.”  
  
Jason didn’t say anything for a full count of twenty. At last he spoke: “You know, I’ve always been a little jealous of you. Your parents are both pretty supportive. They may not always be there, but they try. You and your mom may clash, but at least she’s not trying to control your life. She just wants you to be happy.”  
  
“I guess. I mean, I love her and I know she loves me, too. I just haven’t seen her in over a year, you know? We don’t talk a lot.”  
  
“Maybe you can change that,” Jason suggested. “You know what they say – it takes two to tango.”  
  
Piper laughed. “That’s so fucking corny, dude. And the same could be said for you and your dad.”  
  
“No chance in hell.”  
  
“Right. Of course.” Piper rolled her shoulders back. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to get away from both school and parents. Usually you either get one or the other. But in this case, we get to go on a super awesome adventure, without having anything to really worry about.”  
  
“Except for exotic poisonous creatures. And plane crashes. And falling off a mountain.”  
  
Piper pushed his shoulder again as he laughed. “Not cool, dude. Why the hell did you have to bring all that up? I’m not talking to you ever again.”  
  
Jason snorted. “Yeah, good luck with that. You love me too damn much to stop talking to me. Plus, we’re traveling around the world for almost half a year. Who else is going to get your weird sense of humor?”  
  
Piper’s jaw dropped. “My sense of humor is not weird. It’s _unique_. So there.”  
  
“Piper, you just told me you’d suck me off as a joke. Your sense of humor is _weird_.”  
  
“Hmmph.” She crossed her arms and pouted as dramatically as she could. She sneaked a peek at him, only to find him smirking. “Ugh, shut up, Grace.”  
  
“I didn’t say anything, McLean. Did you hear me speak?”  
  
“Just pass me the damn Cheetos.”  
  
Jason laughed and handed her the bag. “Do you want another beer?”  
  
“Nah, better not. I still have to walk back to my apartment.”  
  
“True.” Jason finished his beer and crushed the can.   
  
“You know, you are kind of a badass,” Piper teased. “Drinking illegally out in the open. You’re only 20, after all.”  
  
“That’s me. Jason Grace, gangster.”  
  
“It’s a good title for you.” Piper got to her feet, brushing her hands off. “Come on, it’s getting late, and we have a shit ton of things to do tomorrow.”  
  
“Yeah. I’m expecting my dad to call me again tomorrow to try to talk me out of this.”  
  
Piper pursed her lips. She knew his dad had tried to talk him out of it, and had ended up hanging up on him. Apparently Jason’s dad and Annabeth’s mom had taken the same parenting class: How to Make Sure Your Kids Hate You 101.  
  
Jason ended up walking Piper back to her apartment, even though it was so close.  
  
“Do you feel any better now?” Piper asked him as they stood outside her apartment.  
  
“Yeah, a little. I still feel like I’m crazy agreeing to this, but not as much as I did.”  
  
Piper smiled. “Then I did my job.” She stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jason.”  
  
He smiled back, and his fingers seemed to brush over the place where she’d kissed him like they had a mind of their own. “Goodnight, Piper.”  
  
Piper let herself into her apartment, waving goodbye to Jason, and closed the door.  
  
“There you are!” Annabeth cried. “I’ve made a list of everything we still have to do, and it’s a lot. I just hope we have enough quarters for all the loads of clothes we’re going to have to wash.”

* * *

The next morning came way too quickly, yet not fast enough. As expected, Piper and Annabeth were running around like crazy, trying to get things done. Had they alerted the school that they would be out of the apartment until spring semester? Check. Had they been refunded for their parking passes? Yep. Had they changed their mailing address to their respective dads’? Done and done. And that was just the stuff they had to do in the morning. Piper had barely even begun packing. Annabeth volunteered to wash clothes if Piper would run down to the grocery store to pick up last minute supplies. Piper also took care of the food they were bringing on the plane. She hated airplane food, and she hadn’t been sure Annabeth’s food could be considered gluten free. She’d seen Annabeth after she accidentally ingested gluten, once at a restaurant that was supposed to be safe, and once when she’d eaten something that had been cross-contaminated. Annabeth had been physically sick for days. But the emotional and mental affects had stayed with her for over a month. And so, Piper carefully prepared Annabeth’s food first, a turkey and cheese sandwich made on gluten-free bread, with a side of apple slices and a bag of chips. Once she was done, she washed everything, including her hands, and prepared a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich for herself on regular bread, along with a side of fruit and chips. She carefully labeled everything. She supposed she was being paranoid, but she hated seeing one of her best friends so sick, and she knew what it was like to have dietary restrictions.  
  
Once she was done with the food, she went back to packing, but it was hard with so much too do and so many distractions.  
  
Jason seemed to be calling Piper every five minutes with a new question: Did she think he should download a language translation app? Did she think he should bring his iPad with him? What about his iPod, which he hadn’t used in years? He should probably bring a survival tips book, right?  
  
“That is so cute,” Annabeth smirked after Piper hung up with Jason for the fifth time, this time after telling him that, sure, if he could find room in his duffel bag, he should totally bring a map of the world.  
  
“What is?” Piper asked absentmindedly as she turned back to her packing.  
  
Annabeth dumped a load of freshly-washed clothes on Piper’s bed. “How he calls you for advice. I’ve never heard Jason ask for advice from anyone but you.”  
  
“You don’t really know him that well,” Piper pointed out to her.  
  
“Still. He doesn’t even seem to ask Percy for advice. But with you, he’s calling you every other minute, wanting to know if you think he should do this or if you think he should do that. He really values your opinion.”  
  
“We’ve been friends for a long time. Of course he values my opinion. I value his as well.”  
  
Annabeth shrugged. “I’m just saying, he’s really attached. It’s adorable.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess it is. I never really thought about it.” Piper went back to folding clothes into her bag. “I don’t mind it, though. I mean, I’m always his number one girl, you know? Even when he has a girlfriend, he still puts me first.”  
  
Annabeth stared at her. “Really? Not his girlfriend? I take it those relationships don’t last for very long.”  
  
“Not for too long, no.”  
  
“What about your relationships, when you have them?”  
  
Piper shrugged. “Jason comes first. He always has. We’re best friends, Annabeth. Of course I’m going to put him first.”  
  
“Right. Well, it’s a good thing you guys are so close, since you’ll be spending four months together.” And with that Annabeth wandered out of the room, leaving Piper wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean.  
  
Since their flight was due to leave at 1:30am, Piper and Annabeth both opted to take naps that evening. They woke up at 10:30 that night, showered, threw on clothes, and began getting ready. Charles Beckendorf had offered to take them to LAX. Luckily he drove a huge SUV, so there was plenty of room for all their luggage.  
  
No one said much as they made the drive into Los Angeles. Piper knew they were all too hyped up and too nervous to really try to hold a conversation. They chatted a bit with Beckendorf, but it was a relief when he finally dropped them off at the entrance to LAX, their luggage in tow.  
  
From there, they made their way through security, found their gate, and opted for a quick snack and caffeine fix from McDonald’s. Piper and Annabeth both got yogurt parfaits, though Annabeth got hers without the granola, and iced coffees, while the boys got chicken sandwiches with their coffees.  
  
“You want a bite?” Piper heard Percy offer a fry to Annabeth.  
  
Annabeth shook her head. “No thanks. I can’t eat those.”  
  
“You’re allergic to fries?” was Percy’s confused response.  
  
“No. It’s just, some McDonald’s cook their fries in some sort of beef flavoring that has wheat in it. I can’t eat that.”  
  
“Oh.” Percy frowned. “Why not? Are you allergic…?”  
  
Piper watched as Annabeth stirred her yogurt. It wasn’t a conversation she really liked having. She was a little sensitive about having an autoimmune disease, even one that only affected her if she ate gluten. It was a weakness, and Annabeth Chase did not have weaknesses.  
  
“Something like that,” Annabeth finally said. “Anyway, it’s 1:15. We should probably head to our gate now. Don’t want to be late.”  
  
Piper swallowed the last bite of her yogurt, gulped the last of her coffee, and stood up. They made quick trips to the restroom before continuing on to their gate.  
  
At last they were called to board. Jason had opted for business class when he’d paid for the plane tickets, so that they could be comfortable but they weren’t totally splurging. They were seated, and Piper made sure that they could easily get to their carry-on bag with their sandwiches. She texted both her parents to let them know they had boarded.  
  
The pre-flight safety announcements were done, and everyone buckled their seatbelts. As the plane began taxiing down the runway, Piper exchanged excited glances with Annabeth, and then with Jason. She couldn’t believe this was it, that it was really happening.  
  
And then the plane took off, and Piper’s stomach swooped. This was really it. There was no going back now.  
  
They spent the plane trip chatting, watching videos and listening to music on their phones, and napping. Around 6am they broke out their food for a quick meal. Afterwards, Piper went back to sleep, dozing on and off for the next couple of hours. When she woke up, she noticed that both Annabeth and Percy were asleep. Jason, who sat across the aisle from her, was awake. She smiled over at him.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
He smiled back. “Hey. Did you sleep well?”  
  
“Decently. What about you? Did you get any sleep?”  
  
“Some. I’ve got coffee, so I should be good.” He held up the cup. “Do you want some? We can get the stewardess back.”  
  
Piper stretched out. “I think I’m good for now, but thanks. Maybe once we land.”  
  
“So, what’s the plan when we do land?”  
  
“Well, according to the email I got, we’ll meet a representative from Paradise Journey at the airport. They’ll take us to our hotel, which I think is close to the airport. It’s supposed to be a good hotel. I did some research on it, and it looks like it’s even got a rooftop pool, which is cool.”  
  
Jason chuckled. “Are we even going to have time to go swimming?”  
  
“I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll have to try to make time for it.”  
  
“I mean, a lot of our week is going to be taken up by going to Machu Pichu. We’re only spending today, tomorrow, and our last day in Peru in Lima.”  
  
“I know. Ooof, I’m so excited!” She grinned at Jason. “Thank you so, so much for deciding to come with me. It wouldn’t be nearly as amazing without you.”  
  
He smiled. “You’re welcome, Pipes. I’m glad I decided to come. I’m pretty sure this is going to beat sitting through classes on law.”  
  
“Damn straight it will. Just think. Peru this week, Belize the following week, and then Costa Rica. And that’s just to start off with.” Piper shivered in anticipation. “This is going to be epic!”  
  
Annabeth and Percy woke up a little later. At about 10:30, Pacific Standard time, and 12:30, Peru Standard time, it was announced that the plane would be landing at the Jorge Chávez International Airport in just a few minutes. Everyone fastened their seatbelts, and the plane began to dip down.  
  
The landing felt smooth, which was a relief to Piper – she loved what little traveling she’d done, but she hated flying. And then the pilot spoke over the intercom: “_Ahora hemos aterrizado en Lima. Bienvenido a Peru_. We have now landed in Lima. Welcome to Peru!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I know Annabeth having celiac is not canon, but it's something I really wanted to include. As someone who also has celiac disease, I really wanted to explore how it could affect someone traveling abroad. Having dietary restrictions is not easy, but it's very common, so it just seemed likely that one of them would have problems. Anyway, the next few chapters will explore their time in Peru, and will start amping up the angst and drama. The other characters (Hazel, Frank, Reyna, Leo, Calypso, Will, and Nico) will be introduced in the next chapter as well :)


	4. Rooftop Pools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls are definitely having way more fun than the boys are.

_September 2nd – Lima, Peru_  
  
As they disembarked from the plane, Annabeth found herself grinning from ear to ear. She kept bumping shoulders with Percy, which somehow made the fact that she was _walking into an international airport in Lima, Peru_ that much better. It felt surreal, but amazing. She’d actually done it. She’d gone against her mother’s wishes and boarded that plane at LAX. And now she was here, in Lima. She could soak in the culture of Lima today and tomorrow, and the day after she would be hiking to Machu Pichu. It was beyond surreal.  
  
But so damn cool at the same time.  
  
They followed the English signs to the baggage claim, where they got their luggage, before continuing on to the front of the airport.  
  
They scanned the crowd, looking for the Paradise Journey representative.  
  
“There!” Percy pointed towards a young Asian man with a large build and a friendly face. He held up a sign with their names.  
  
They moved towards him, smiling hopefully.  
  
“Hi!” he said cheerfully. “Piper, Jason, Annabeth, and Percy?”  
  
“That would be us,” Jason confirmed.  
  
“Nice to meet you! I’m Frank, from Paradise Journey. I’m so excited you guys are here today! We’re going to have a blast over the next four months.” He led them out of the airport, where an SUV was waiting. “It’s just a rental,” he told them as the boys gushed over it. “The airport rents out cars to Paradise Journey employees at a discounted price, so we always have transportation.”  
  
“That sounds like a good deal,” Piper commented.  
  
“It is,” Frank agreed. “Go ahead, get in. The hotel is just about 15 minutes from here, so it’s a short drive.”  
  
Everyone climbed into the SUV. Since Jason was the tallest, he took the front passenger seat, and the others sat in the back. Frank navigated the SUV neatly out of the airport parking lot and onto the road. Annabeth gazed out the window, drinking in the sights of the city. She could spot exotic trees dotted between the buildings. While it looked like your average city, Annabeth had done enough research to know it was so much more than that.   
  
Frank pointed towards the west. “The coast is over there. If you get a chance, you guys should definitely check out the beaches. There are some really nice beaches in the Miraflores district.”  
  
Annabeth could see Percy craning his neck to get a glimpse of the ocean, but he couldn’t seem to quite spot it past the tall buildings. He collapsed against the seat, disappointed.  
  
“You guys have a free day tomorrow to explore Lima,” Frank mentioned. “So you can do whatever you want.”  
  
“Maybe we can go down to one of the beaches tomorrow,” Annabeth suggested to Percy.  
  
“Don’t you want to check out the Larco Museum?” Percy replied, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
Annabeth fought back a smile. He’d remembered that she’d made an offhand comment almost three weeks ago about going to the museum. “Yeah, but we can still go down to one of the beaches.”  
  
“The Larco Museum is in the Pueblo Libre district, and the best beaches are in the Miraflores district,” Frank told them. “It’s about a half hour drive between the two, so you guys should have plenty of time. And the hotel you guys will be staying in is in the Miraflores district, so you’ll have a short commute from the hotel to the beach.”   
  
Annabeth pulled out her phone and punched the information into Google. “It’s about a twenty-two minute drive,” she told Percy.  
  
“We can lend you a car for the day if you’d like,” Frank offered. “That way you guys aren’t stuck walking or taking a cab.”  
  
“That’d be great!” Percy’s eyes lit up, before turning to Annabeth. “Do you want to do that? We can hit the museum first, if you want.”  
  
Annabeth smiled. “Yeah, that sounds perfect.”  
  
“What do you want to do tomorrow?” Jason asked Piper, half-turning in his seat so he could look at her.  
  
“I kind of just want to explore Lima on foot,” she told him. “Maybe check out some of the food and the local sights.”  
  
“That sounds great. I’ll totally do that with you, if you don’t mind the company.”  
  
“Of course I’d love the company,” Piper replied, looking back at Jason like he was crazy. And maybe he was, Annabeth reflected. Jason’s eyes lit up the way Percy’s had just a moment ago, and Annabeth suspected it wasn’t just because Jason was eager to walk around Lima.  
  
Frank pulled into the parking lot of a huge glass building. Annabeth tried to make out the name of the hotel, but the Spanish words coupled with her dyslexia, making it nearly impossible. Frank parked close to the entrance, and they climbed out. They grabbed their luggage and headed inside, where they checked in and got their room keys.  
  
“We’ll meet down here at the bar at 4pm for a mixer, so you and the other people on this trip can meet,” Frank told them. “In the meantime, you can do whatever you want. Check out some of the local shops, get some food, whatever. I’ll see you guys in a few hours.”  
  
Since their rooms were on the fourth floor, they piled into the elevator. Annabeth tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear as the others chatted about what they were going to do. Piper still wanted to go swimming, while Jason was considering a nap.  
  
She noticed that Percy was quiet, too. She turned to him. “What do _you_ want to do?”  
  
He smiled as the doors dinged open. “I’m hungry.”  
  
“You know what? So am I.”  
  
After some more talk, Piper and Jason decided they were as well.  
  
“Let’s check out our rooms, and then find a place to eat,” Jason said.  
  
Their rooms were located right next to each other, which was nice. Annabeth inserted her key card into the slot, and with a loud click the door swung open. She and Piper stepped in, hauling their luggage behind them.  
  
The room was gorgeous, decorated in silvery grays, blacks, and whites. They had a fantastic view of the city out the window, and Annabeth could just catch a glimpse of the ocean.  
  
She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She felt kind of gross from the plane, but she didn’t want to take a full shower when they were going to be walking around a hot city.  
  
She shot a quick message to her dad to let him know she’d made it safely to the hotel, before changing out of her travel clothes of leggings and a baggy sweatshirt into shorts and a t-shirt. She laced up her Converse sneakers, and let her hair down from its messy bun. She ran a brush through her tangled curls, and slicked on a layer of lip gloss and mascara. It wasn’t much, but it made her feel slightly more human.  
  
Piper finished cleaning up as well, just as there was a knock on the door. The boys were ready.  
  
They had lunch at a nearby restaurant. Annabeth had printed out cards reading _celiac_ in different languages, so she was able to communicate to the waiter that she couldn’t eat gluten. Piper had done the same thing, only with the word _vegetarian_, so she was able to order a dish without meat. Annabeth saw Percy glance at her card, clearly trying to translate it. While the translation was super easy, if he wasn’t familiar with the term in English, he had no hope.  
  
She gave him a small smile as she slipped the card back into her wallet. She ended up getting chicken, with rice and vegetables, while Piper got beans with rice and vegetables. The boys got massive platters of food, heavy on the sauces Annabeth knew would make her sick. But that was okay. It had been three years since she was diagnosed, and most of her bitterness had evaporated.  
  
The meal was excellent, and they spent the next couple of hours just wandering around the Miraflores district. They returned to the hotel a little before 3, so they could shower and change into clothes more suitable for drinks and dinner.  
  
Annabeth ended up wearing a flowy white lacey calf-length skirt and a pink tank top under a denim jacket. She let her blonde curls cascade over her shoulders and down her back, and she even put on a little bit of eyeliner and redid her mascara. She slipped her feet into wedge sandals to complete the look. Piper wore destroyed black skinny jeans and a cropped t-shirt, with flat sandals. Once they deemed each other ready, they made their way down to the hotel’s bar.  
  
The boys were already there, in simple jeans and t-shirts. They were chatting with Frank and a Hispanic-looking girl with long dark hair and eyes the color of dark chocolate.  
  
Percy and Jason waved Annabeth and Piper over.  
  
“This is Reyna,” Jason said to the girls. “She’s our other tour guide. Reyna, this is Piper and Annabeth.”  
  
Reyna shook both girls’ hands with something that Annabeth supposed must be a smile. It looked more like a grimace. “It’s nice to meet you both.”  
  
“You, too,” Annabeth and Piper chorused.  
  
Over the next fifteen minutes, the other members of the group trailed in. Annabeth met Leo Valdez, a junior from the University of Texas; Will Solace, a premed student; and Calypso Atlas who, like Piper, was undecided on her major, but was currently attending a university back east.   
  
Percy’s eyes lit up for what felt like the millionth time that day as the final two members of the group wandered in: An African-American girl with brown eyes, and a skinny, pale boy with overgrown black hair and black eyes.  
  
“Hazel? Nico?” Percy cried, rushing over to them. “Holy shit, what are the chances?” He hugged them both, before tugging them over. “Guys, these are two of my friends from New York City! We went to high school together! This is Hazel Levesque, and her brother, Nico Di Angelo.”  
  
Annabeth blinked. While Hazel was all sunny smiles and enthusiasm greetings, Nico hung back a bit, glowering as if he resented every single person’s presence. She couldn’t imagine two people less likely to be siblings.  
  
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Hazel gushed to Annabeth and Piper. “Oh my gosh, this is amazing! I can’t believe we ran into _Percy Jackson_ of all people! See, Nico?” she added to her brother. “I told you that this would be the trip of a lifetime.”  
  
“Yeah, I know.” Nico shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. He glared at the floor, like it had done him a personal wrong.  
  
“How the hell have you guys been?” Percy asked Hazel and Nico as he led them over to the bar. Hazel appeared to answer enthusiastically, while Nico just kept his lips clamped shut.  
  
“Your boyfriend seems to know some of the people in the group.”  
  
Annabeth’s head snapped around. She hadn’t even heard Reyna slip up behind her. “What? Yeah, he does. But he’s not my boyfriend,” she added quickly.  
  
“Really?” Reyna raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. “That’s interesting.”   
  
“Percy and I are just friends,” Annabeth gritted out. She didn’t like the triumphant glimmer in Reyna’s eyes.  
  
“And you and Jason?” Reyna asked Piper.  
  
“He’s my best friend!” Piper sounded outraged at the very notion that she and Jason might be more than friends. Annabeth rolled her eyes. Please. She’d seen the way Piper had stared at Jason when they’d been working out in the gym. Whether or not Piper’s feelings for Jason ran any deeper than physical attraction, Annabeth didn’t know. But either way, those feelings were there, and Piper would have to confront them at some point.  
  
“So, you two aren’t dating?” Reyna confirmed.  
  
“Not at all.” Piper crossed her arms and glared at Reyna. “Why?”  
  
“Just wondering.” Reyna looked very happy by this information. Annabeth decided at that moment that she didn’t trust Reyna around the boys. She seemed to want both Percy and Jason, and Annabeth was not okay with that.  
  
Frank clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, we’re going to head out to dinner now. Follow me, please.” He led the way out of the hotel and to a nearby restaurant.  
  
The group chatted over dinner and drinks, and Annabeth realized that, for the most part, she really liked the others in the tour group. Leo had decided to get his business degree so he could open his own garage in Texas, while Hazel, who was the youngest, was hoping to go to school to become a veterinarian.  
  
“I just really want to help animals,” she said passionately as she sipped on her soda.  
  
Calypso didn’t get along with her dad, who disapproved of everything she did, while Will wanted to become a pediatrician. In fact, by the time they finished up dinner, the only person who Annabeth hadn’t really spoken to was Nico.  
  
When they got back to the hotel, everyone said their goodnights and disappeared up to their rooms.  
  
Piper grinned at Annabeth once they were in their room. “Feel like a swim?”  
  
Annabeth grinned back. “You read my mind. Let’s do it.”  
  
They slipped into their bikinis and tied their hair back. They slipped on their flip-flops and grabbed their towels, before heading up to the pool. Piper had been right, Annabeth realized. The pool was on the roof. Glass railings blocked off the edges, allowing the girls to peer out over the city.  
  
Annabeth dropped her towel on one of the lounge chairs, and kicked off her flip-flops. She jumped into the pool with a shriek, and Piper followed suit. Annabeth came up for breath, laughing as she shoved loose strands of hair out of her face. “Oh my God! I can’t believe we’re swimming in a fucking hotel rooftop pool in fucking Lima, Peru!”  
  
Piper cracked up. “Think you could drop a couple more F bombs in there, Professor Chase?”  
  
Annabeth splashed a wave of water at her, and Piper screamed as it crashed over her.  
  
“Oh, it’s war, Chase!”  
  
Annabeth screamed obscenities as Piper sent wave after wave of water at her. By the time the attack let up, Annabeth was completely drenched. “You are such a fucking brat!” she screeched through her laughter.  
  
“Get used to it!” Piper retorted, hanging onto the side of the pool as she struggled to control her giggles.  
  
“You know,” Annabeth said as she swam to the side of the pool as well to take a breather, “I can pretty much guarantee that the boys are not having nearly as much fun as we are.”  
  
“I wouldn’t even take that bet,” Piper grinned as she stared out at the city of Lima. “There’s just no way in hell.”

* * *

Percy was certain he’d crash the second he laid down in his bed. He was absolutely exhausted. He never slept well on planes, and he’d barely gotten any sleep the evening before. But as he laid down on his bed, his body seemed to buzz, reminding him that he was on what would probably be the best damn adventure of his life.  
  
Jason was fixing himself a cup of tea using the coffee maker and some teabags he’d picked up at the front desk. “So, what do you think?”  
  
“About what?” Percy asked. He pushed his pillows up so they were leaning against the wall, and then settled back against them, hands folded behind his head. He’d changed into his pajama pants and t-shirt, but sleep suddenly seemed very far away.  
  
“About…everything, I guess. About the trip so far.”  
  
“It’s only the first day,” Percy pointed out. “But so far it seems to be going good. Everyone in the group seems nice. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”  
  
“Yeah, it is,” Jason agreed. He sat down on his bed with his cup of tea. “So…you’re going to be spending the day with Annabeth tomorrow.”  
  
Percy glanced over at him. “You’ve got a point, dude?”  
  
“Yeah. You have a crush on her.”  
  
Percy snorted. “What are you, 12? No one has crushes anymore.”  
  
Jason let out a huffy breath. “Fine, whatever. But you like her. You’re insanely attracted to her. I know the signs, dude. You can’t keep your eyes off her when she’s in the same room, and your face absolutely lights up every time you guys talk. I can just about imagine your expression when she suggested you guys go to the museum and the beach together.”  
  
Percy scowled. “Fuck off.”  
  
Jason laughed. “You know I’m right. And you know you’re excited.”  
  
Percy tried to hold the scowl for a moment longer, but couldn’t quite manage. “Fine,” he admitted. “I’m excited. I like Annabeth a lot. She’s so damn smart and funny and intelligent and – she’s gorgeous. Talking to her is crazy easy, but so is just being with her. We don’t have anything in common, yet we get along like we’ve known each other our entire lives. How the fuck does that even work?”  
  
“Opposites attract?” Jason suggested.  
  
“Like you and Piper?”  
  
Jason was quiet for a moment. And then he said, “You can’t tell Piper. She doesn’t know.”  
  
“Know what?” Percy rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow so he could raise an eyebrow at Jason. “That you’ve been in love with her for at least as long as I’ve known you guys? Come on, why not tell her? It’s not like she’s seeing anyone right now.”  
  
“That’s just it!” Jason cried. “She doesn’t want to see anyone. She likes to keep things casual. I don’t. I like relationships. We’d never work out.”  
  
“Doesn’t mean you can’t try.”  
  
“And ruin the friendship?” Jason snorted. “No thanks. I think I’ll keep my feelings to myself. Besides, she probably doesn’t even have feelings for me. And she doesn’t have to.”  
  
“So, you’re cool with just being friend-zoned?”  
  
“Percy, it’s not about being friend-zoned. I’m just happy she wants to spend time with me. I’m beyond thrilled that she wanted me to go on this trip with her and Annabeth. I may have been hesitant, but just the fact that she wanted me to go so badly…”  
  
“So that’s why you decided to go,” Percy said quietly. “Not because of any of the points we made, but because you’re in love with Piper and couldn’t bear to disappoint her.”  
  
“That’s putting it a little strongly.”  
  
“But it’s true, isn’t it?”  
  
Jason didn’t say anything to that.  
  
“That’s what I thought,” said Percy in satisfaction. “Well, you’ll be spending tomorrow with Piper, so I guess we both have big days tomorrow with the girls we’re not dating.”  
  
“But you _could_ date Annabeth,” Jason pointed out.  
  
Percy sighed and raked his fingers through his already-messy hair. He wanted to date Annabeth, he really did. But she seemed so…mysterious. Aloof. Like that gluten-free thing. He didn’t think it was that big a deal. Lots of people had food allergies. But she acted like it was a huge secret.  
  
“Annabeth seems like she’s kind of hard to get to know,” Percy said at last.  
  
“So you’re not going to try?”  
  
“Of course I’m going to try! I just don’t know if it’s going to do any good. She seems so tough and world-wary, like she doesn’t need anyone.”  
  
“Well, maybe she doesn’t need anyone,” Jason suggested. “But maybe she’d like someone. I mean, you don’t need anyone, but wouldn’t you like to have someone?”  
  
Percy glowered at him. “Stop making sense. It’s too late for that.”  
  
Jason laughed. “Get some sleep, Perce. We’ve both got big days tomorrow.”  
  
“Yes,” Percy agreed. “Yes, we do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late update! Work has been crazy and I've been dealing with laptop issues. But hey, check it out, the others are here! There will be more of them the next couple of chapters too :)


	5. Beaches and Dance Clubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Piper's day in Lima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I'm so sorry for the wait! I meant to get this chapter out so much faster, but I was in the middle of finishing up my very last class for my degree, and work was crazy! And then my laptop failed on me, so I had to get it fixed. But here's chapter 5! Not gonna lie, it's one of my favorites so far, and I hope you guys like it :)

_September 3rd – Lima, Peru_  
  
When Piper woke up the next morning, for a split second she thought the previous day must have been a dream. And then she opened her eyes and saw her hotel room surroundings. It had been real. She supposed it was cheesy to think that this whole thing had been a dream, but she couldn’t help it. She’d been waiting with baited breath for something, anything, to go wrong. But it hadn’t. She was really in Lima, with two of her best friends and a third good friend. The night before she had swam in a rooftop pool overlooking the city, and had laughed until she thought her ribs might break.  
  
Annabeth was already up, shuffling around their hotel room as she made coffee.  
  
Piper rolled out of bed and stretched leisurely.  
  
Annabeth glanced over at her. “You want a cup?”  
  
“Please?”  
  
Annabeth poured her a cup, and Piper added cream and sugar to her coffee. She checked the time and saw that it was a little after 7am – they were supposed to meet the group for breakfast in the hotel restaurant at 8. She yawned and headed to the bathroom to shower.  
  
Forty-five minutes later, Piper and Annabeth made their way down to the restaurant. Both tour guides were already there, along with Will and Hazel. Everyone greeted them warmly, even Reyna, which surprised Piper; she hadn’t found the female tour guide to be particularly warm and friendly the night before.  
  
The others drifted in over the next twenty minutes, with Percy coming in last. They ordered their food soon after, with requests of coffee and black tea from everyone.  
  
“So,” Frank said, “I know everyone has big plans for today. I know a couple of you are planning to check out a dance club tonight. I can tell you right now, that place is a blast. Just make sure you’re ready tomorrow morning to travel to Cusco. We’re leaving bright and early at 7am.”  
  
There were some playful groans, but everyone mostly just looked excited. Piper knew she was.  
  
Once everyone had eaten and had been properly caffeinated, the group began to diverge.  
  
“So, I got a map from the front desk,” Jason told Piper as they made their way out the hotel door. He held up the paper map.  
  
Piper smiled. “That’s great, Jace. But, would you mind if we just kind of wandered around to see what we can find? If we get lost or need to backtrack then we can definitely need to use the map. Unless there’s someplace you definitely want to go to?”  
  
“Nope.” He shook his head. “Lead the way, and I’ll follow.”  
  
Her smile widened. “Smart man.” She kissed his cheek, just as she’d done two nights ago, and led him out onto the street.  
  
For the next few hours, they wandered around the streets of the Miraflores district, walking into random shops, admiring the view, and just having a blast in general. They bought ice cream for a mid-morning snack. The ice cream parlor they went to was a little pricey, but they got massive portions, which totally made up for the cost.   
  
“Do you want to walk down to the beach?” Jason asked as he licked his ice cream. “I think Playa Waikiki is only like 15 minutes away.”  
  
Piper smiled. “Sure. Let’s go.”  
  
They walked the short distance down to the beach. The beach turned out to be rocky, not sandy like Piper had expected. She was glad she’d opted to wear her old Nikes, rather than flip-flops, because some of those rocks looked freaking sharp. She inhaled the salty smell of the ocean, and tied her hair back to keep it out of her face – the wind was blowing pretty hard.  
  
Despite the wind, it was a pleasant day to be out and about, especially with Jason. They walked along the beach mostly in silence, occasionally making a comment about the weather or the view. It maybe wasn’t a beach where people could really lay out on a towel and sunbathe, but it was still absolutely gorgeous.   
  
“Did your dad end up calling you the other night to try to talk you out of this?” Piper finally asked Jason. It was a question she’d been meaning to ask him for the last 24 hours, but had wanted to wait until they were alone.  
  
“He did,” Jason confirmed. “He got pissed when I refused to reconsider this. He said – he said some nasty things.” Jason’s voice cracked, and Piper reached out to place her hand sympathetically on his arm.  
  
“Hey,” she said quietly, “you can’t listen to him. He doesn’t know anything. He sure as hell doesn’t know you. You can’t let him bring you down. Come on, Jason. These are supposed to be the best days of our life. Your dad has never had time for you. But you’re making time for yourself. And that shows just how strong you really are, something he’ll never understand.”  
  
Jason smiled at her, just a little bit. “You’re right, Pipes.”  
  
“I usually am,” she grinned. “Especially about parents. Mine may not be like your dad, but they’re not always absolutely amazing, either.”  
  
“Yeah, I know.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it. Somehow, you always seem to know what I need to hear.”  
  
“It’s a talent. Plus, I just happen to know you really well. It comes with being your best friend for the last ten years.”  
  
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”  
  
“Of course I am. You just said I am.” Piper looped her arm through his. “Just because your dad is so damn rigid doesn’t mean you have to be. Your dad doesn’t know how to have fun.”  
  
“I know.” Jason ran his fingers through his short blond hair. “We’ve had this talk about twenty times by now.”  
  
“At least that,” Piper agreed. “Probably more.”  
  
“And it usually involves you talking me into something I would never agree to with anyone else. Like that time you convinced me to drive up to Portland with you so we could catch the Warped Tour, because our show’s tickets were sold out. I barely even like that kind of music, yet somehow you talked me into it.”  
  
“And it was an experience, wasn’t it? You really enjoyed yourself.”  
  
“You also convinced me to go to Coachella.”  
  
“And to try surfing – which you turned out to be a natural at.” Piper elbowed him playfully. “Much more than me.”  
  
“And you were always convincing me to do something that could get us into huge trouble if we were caught.”  
  
“You make it sound like I convinced you to steal a car or something! I swear to God, I take you to one party – “  
  
“Five parties. Five high school parties. And every single time we had to make a fast escape because the neighbors called the cops. And then there was the party you threw at your dad’s house when we graduated high school.”  
  
Piper grinned widely. “Good times. But in my defense, I got my dad’s permission to have some friends over, and he was shooting a film in England. I mean, yeah, okay, the cops got called and we almost got arrested, but we hid the beer before they could find it and somehow managed to convince the cops that they were absolutely not seeing drunk teenagers dancing around my dad’s pool.”  
  
“Wow, I’m getting exhausted just thinking about that,” Jason cracked. “That was some crazy stuff.”  
  
“But we got through it together. And that’s the important part.”  
  
“I guess so. Though I still think you’re freaking nuts.”  
  
Piper laughed. “It wouldn’t be us if you thought otherwise. That’s okay, though. I think sometimes you need a kick in the ass in order to live, so I guess we’re even.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess so.” He smiled at her, a full-on, happy smile.  
  
“Come on,” Piper fished her phone out of her shorts’ pocket and switched it to camera mode. “Let’s take a selfie for the ‘gram.” She stepped back so that she was leaning against him, her head just barely clearing his shoulder. He had to stoop a little so he could get his head in the picture, but it looked more like he was trying to photo bomb, rather than take a picture with his best friend on a beach in Peru.  
  
“Come on, Jason,” Piper clucked her tongue. “You can get closer to me.”  
  
He paused, and then she felt him gingerly rest his hand on the curve of her waist, just under her cropped tank top, holding her to him, and her heartbeat sped up. She was suddenly super aware of everything about him – how firm and warm his body felt against hers, the way his hand seemed to cup her waist perfectly, as if it had been sculpted like that, and the deliciously clean scent of his favorite cologne. It was everything about him that made him Jason. And yet, while he was so familiar, feeling his hand on her waist in such an intimate gesture, as friendly as it was, was completely different. His fingers smoothed over her bare skin, distracting her so much that she almost forgot to tap the little white button to take the damn picture.  
  
She heard the clicking sound of her camera. Jason pulled away, clearing his throat and smoothing his shirt. “How’d the, uh, picture turn out?” he asked.  
  
Piper pulled the picture up on her phone and showed him. It had turned out fantastic. The sun glinted off the Pacific Ocean behind them, and with Jason stooping down, an arm nearly around her back, they looked cozy and intimate, like the dream couple.  
  
_This is what we would look like if we started dating_, Piper thought dizzily, before realizing just what had popped into her head. _No_! They weren’t a couple. They couldn’t be a couple. They would never be a couple. They were just best friends, plain and simple. Nothing more, nothing less. But as she stared down at the picture, she felt a tug of longing. She realized from the position she’d been in, how easy it would be to simply crane her neck around and tilt her head up to kiss him. How easy it would be to do that now.  
  
It was official. She was losing her mind. Checking Jason out at the gym or at the pool was one thing. That was nothing but hormones. But fantasizing about dating him? That was something else entirely. A whole ‘nother beast. And she couldn’t allow herself to think that way. She couldn’t ruin their friendship.  
  
She just couldn’t.  
  
“I’ll upload that to Instagram and Facebook when we get back to the hotel,” Piper said after a moment. She exited the picture, and instead snapped a few more pics to go along with the selfie, making sure to capture the ocean and the outline of the city behind them. She took a couple of candid photos of Jason as he treaded along the edge of the surf, eyes cast down, a thoughtful expression on his face. His head jerked up at the snapping of the camera, and she grinned at him. “Gotcha.”  
  
“That’s just mean. I wasn’t expecting it.”  
  
“They’re good pictures,” Piper told him. She showed him the photos she’d taken. “See? You could use this one for your Facebook profile pic.”  
  
He smiled a little. “That makes me look so…insightful. Deep. Dedicated.”  
  
“You are insightful and deep and dedicated.”  
  
“Yeah, but you really captured it.”  
  
Piper laughed. “It’s just because I know you, silly.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess so.” They walked a little bit further, before Jason said, “Can I ask you something?”  
  
“Of course, always.”  
  
He licked his lips as if he was nervous. “It’s just…you’ve never really had a serious relationship. And there have been plenty of guys who have been interested. I was just wondering…why?”  
  
Piper considered that. There were two things that she and Jason didn’t talk about much – their love lives and their sex lives. There had only been a couple of occasions where they’d actually discussed both, but that had been back in high school. It hadn’t happened since. And Piper usually didn’t give a lot of reasons as to why she preferred flings and hookups to relationships. Even Annabeth had never asked, and Annabeth liked to know everything.  
  
“I guess I just don’t trust relationships,” she said after a moment. “I never have. My dad and my mom are proof that relationships can be seriously detrimental. Relationships and love can really fuck you up. I mean, I’ve spent years watching my dad pine after my mom, even though she’s long since moved on. She’s dated so many men at this point that I can’t even keep track. The only one who comes to mind is Ares, the drummer in that rock band, Gods of War. They’ve been off and on for years, but she still can’t commit to him, not really. She’s been married three times, and my dad has had a shit ton of relationships. He's always got some new girl on his arm. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone down to the kitchen in the morning for breakfast, and there’s some half-naked bimbo sitting at the table eating my yogurt.”  
  
Jason thought about that. “Remind me to never eat your yogurt.”  
  
Piper smacked his shoulder. “How would you feel if at least once a week your dad had some new girlfriend spend the night?”  
  
“I’d feel like he could provide his own damn yogurt for her.”  
  
“Shut up about the yogurt already!”  
  
Jason was silent for a moment. And then he said, “I wouldn’t be happy about any of it.”  
  
“Exactly. And when he does have a long-term girlfriend, their relationship always ends in some huge, blowout fight, and then he spends the next week partying up and down the coast with his other actor friends and I don’t hear from him for days. So no, I don’t think relationships are worth it. Not in my family, anyway.”  
  
“That seems like a lonely way to live.”  
  
“How can it be? I have you and Annabeth, and now Percy, too.” Piper playfully bumped her shoulder against his arm. “Come on, it’s getting late. We should head back to the hotel so we can get ready for tonight. I, for one, can’t wait to check out this dance club.”

* * *

Jason had never been one for dance clubs. And if it hadn’t been for Piper, he would have been more than happy to bow out for the night. Since the dance club they were going to didn’t even open until 9pm, the others, sans Percy and Annabeth, gathered back at the hotel to change clothes, before heading out to a nearby restaurant for a light dinner. The food was delicious, and as he sat beside Piper, he felt happy and sated for the first time in weeks. He hadn’t realized just how tense and stressed he’d felt, until he finally got a chance to relax and unwind.  
  
He'd somehow ended up sitting next to Nico di Angelo at the huge table they’d been shown to. He hadn’t missed the way Nico had poked at his chicken and rice, as if it was about as appetizing as dirt. Nico kept shooting Hazel scowls, and Jason wondered if the siblings had argued earlier. He hadn’t gotten the chance to really talk to any of them, but they’d all seemed fairly nice. Certainly Hazel was as bubbly as her brother was reserved. She chatted animatedly with the tour guides, asking questions and talking about the sights she’d seen today. Across the table from Jason, Leo and Calypso were in the middle of a heated discussion. From what Jason had gathered, they’d gone to one of the museums with Hazel, Will, and Nico, and their opinions on the best part of the museum were completely different.  
  
“You’re an idiot,” Calypso informed Leo as she stabbed at a piece of seabass. “If you really think that statue was the best part – “  
  
“I’m not the one who spent almost ten minutes oohing over a damn pot,” Leo snapped back.  
  
“It was an urn!”  
  
“So, you’re, like, grave robbing?”  
  
Jason thought for a second that Calypso was going to throw her drink at Leo. Instead she simply turned to join in on the conversation between Hazel, Frank, and Reyna. Leo’s dark eyes seemed to flash with satisfaction, before he realized he had an audience.  
  
He smiled sheepishly at Jason. “Don’t mind me. We just spent most of the day arguing. I’d like to know who was behind letting Calypso and me go out in public together. I mean, it’s pretty clear we need to be babysat.”  
  
Jason laughed a little at that. “Some people can rub you the wrong way,” he pointed out to Leo. “But at least you know you and Calypso don’t get along.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess.” Leo took a bite of his _Lomo Saltado_. “You looking forward to the club?”  
  
Jason glanced over at Piper; she was deep in conversation with the others now. It looked like Will had joined in as well. “Not really,” he admitted. “Clubs aren’t really my thing.”  
  
“You’re only going because of your girlfriend?”  
  
Jason blushed. “She’s not my girlfriend,” he muttered, stabbing viciously at his _Estofado_.  
  
“Could have fooled me,” Leo commented. “When I saw you two guys, I thought for sure you were together.”  
  
“We’ve known each other for a really long time,” Jason explained. “She’s one of my best friends.”  
  
“I see.” And somehow, Jason got the feeling that Leo did. It wasn’t the most comforting feeling in the world.  
  
“So, Nico,” Leo said, addressing the other boy, “you look like you just had a ton of fun today, lots of rainbows and sunshine. You should tell us all about it.”  
  
Nico’s lip curled up and his nose winkled, like he smelled something bad. “Fuck off, Valdez,” he grumbled, and Jason was amazed that Nico had remembered Leo’s last name. Leo must have really made an impression on him. But then again, Leo seemed to be the kind of guy who could make an impression on anyone, good or bad. If you liked Leo, you absolutely loved him. And if you didn’t like him, you completely despised him.  
  
Hazel leaned around to speak to Jason. “How come you and Piper didn’t go to the museum today?”  
  
“We just decided to go down to the beach,” he explained, “and walk around a little. It was fun.”  
  
“How long have you and Piper known each other?”  
  
“About ten years.” He smiled. “We met the summer before we started fifth grade, and weren’t really sure what to make of each other. She was all energy and passion, and honestly kind of scary. But then we kind of got forced into spending time together, and we ended up hitting it off. We’ve been best friends ever since.”  
  
It was a very abbreviated version, but it seemed to do the trick. Hazel smiled and proclaimed that that was, “so cute”. Jason wondered what she would think if she knew the details – all the details.  
  
“So, you and Nico are from New York City?” Piper asked Hazel.  
  
“He is. I’m originally from New Orleans, but I moved up to New York after I lost my mom. Nico’s my half-brother,” Hazel added quickly. “We have the same dad, just different moms.” She broke off at that, staring down at the table.  
  
“I get it,” Jason said quietly. “My dad had an affair with my mom. He was still married to his first wife. When my mom got pregnant with my sister, my dad left his wife and married her instead. But he cheated on her, too. They stayed together just long enough to have me.” It wasn’t information he normally shared, but Hazel looked so sad and vulnerable. He knew what it was like to feel unwanted, to wonder if your family actually wanted you around or if you were just an inconvenience. It wasn’t a feeling he would wish on his worst enemy. Maybe that was why he liked being around Piper so much. She’d never made him feel unwanted. She would drop her own wedding if she thought he was in trouble.  
  
Though from what she’d said, she wasn’t expecting to get married. So maybe that wasn’t even a concern.  
  
Hazel looked at him for a long moment. “I guess parents aren’t always a mom or a dad. Sometimes they’re just a hang-up.”  
  
“Sometimes they are,” Jason agreed.  
  
“My parents are,” Piper said with a nod. “I mean, they love me, but they’re not really around. They’re too busy with their jobs and their lives and their significant others. I’m just kind of…there. Not really in the way, but not out of the way, either. They have to remember to spend time with me.”  
  
“At least your parents even spend time with you,” Nico spoke up. Bitterness dripped from his voice like rubbing alcohol from a wound. Jason could almost feel the old sting; it was clear that Nico’s pain ran deep. “My dad wouldn’t be caught dead spending time with his kids.”  
  
Jason sipped on his water. It sounded a bit like his dad, and he felt a twinge of sympathy for Nico. The other boy might not come off as likeable, but maybe there was a reason for that. Maybe Nico di Angelo was just tired of people treating him like shit. Jason could definitely relate to that.  
  
They finished their meal, and slowly made their way towards the club, a few streets over. Jason found himself shifting between conversations, chatting with Piper and Hazel, before joining in on Leo’s conversation with Will and Frank. Reyna and Calypso had struck up a conversation towards the back of the group, blocking Nico in.  
  
“I love traveling,” Frank was saying to Will when Jason zeroed in on their conversation. “I studied abroad my junior and senior years of college, and interned with Paradise Journey. I ended up just deciding to stay with them, only as a tour guide. It’s honestly the best job in the world.”  
  
“I really enjoy traveling,” Will commented. “I haven’t gotten to do as much of it as I’ve wanted to, simply because of how strenuous my studies have been. But that’s why I decided to do this trip. It’s my junior year, and I realized that if I didn’t go now, I’d never get around to it.” He looked over at Nico and smiled. “How did you end up on this trip, Nico di Angelo?”  
  
Nico crossed his skinny arms over his chest. “Just Nico is fine. Or di Angelo. I don’t really care either way.”  
  
“All right, Mr. di Angelo,” Will replied with an amused grin. “If you insist.”  
  
Nico stared at Will so coldly that Jason half expected to see ice spreading across the pavement. “Don’t call me Mr. di Angelo, Solace. It’s not cute, it’s not funny, and it’s not clever.”  
  
“It wasn’t intended to be,” Will retorted. He didn’t sound angry, but his grin dropped from his face. “It was intended to point out how standoffish you’re being. I asked you a simple question, and you still haven’t answered me. And I’m not going to leave you alone until I get an answer.”  
  
If looks could kill, Will would have been blasted into a volcanic cavern. Will just simply raised an eyebrow as if to say he didn’t care how scary Nico thought he was.  
  
Jason and Leo exchanged looks. If Nico had been glaring at them like that, Jason was willing to bet that they would have been hurriedly changing the subject. But Will seemed completely unaffected by this.  
  
“Fine,” Nico finally gritted out. “My sister wanted to go on this trip, but she didn’t want to go by herself, so she asked me along. I’m on this trip solely for her, so don’t get any ideas, Solace.” He shoved past Will and instead caught up with Piper and Hazel.  
  
Jason was wondering what kind of ideas Will was not supposed to get when he nearly walked right into Reyna.  
  
“Whoa, easy!” she grabbed his arm to steady him. Piper glanced at them, head cocked to the side.  
  
“Sorry,” Jason said quickly, stepping back to extract himself from Reyna. He suddenly realized that everyone else had stopped, too.  
  
They stood outside a brightly-lit club, built out of what appeared to be an adobe wall. Bouncers stood at the door, checking IDs. Once Jason had the nod from the bouncer, he stepped through the door, and his jaw dropped. He stood in a cavernous room with a balcony ringing the outer edge. Multicolored neon lights flashed through the club, and at one end stood a high bar. Pop music blared through the room, thrumming through Jason’s veins, and he almost considered asking Piper if she wanted to dance before remembering how horrible he was at dancing. He figured he’d probably spend the night sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of iced tea until it was suitably late enough to head back to his hotel.  
  
Piper snorted as they stepped further into the club. “Pop music,” she said derisively to Jason.  
  
He grinned. “Right up my alley.”  
  
“You’re what’s wrong with this generation.”  
  
He laughed. “I’m going to go get a drink. Come with?”  
  
She nodded, and followed him over to the bar. They both ordered iced teas and sat at the bar with their drinks. Leo, Frank, and Nico joined them, while Reyna, Calypso, Hazel, and Will hit the dance floor.   
  
Leo and Frank both ordered iced teas as well, while Nico got a beer. Jason settled back, occasionally exchanging a word or two with Piper and Leo. At one point he tried to engage in conversation with Nico, but fell silent when the dark haired boy shot him a nasty look.  
  
The girls and Will seemed to be having a blast. It didn’t seem to matter that none of them were super graceful. They were having fun, and it was clear just from watching them that that was all that mattered.  
  
“I think Reyna’s looking over here,” Leo commented as he took a sip of his iced tea.  
  
Jason glanced up and, sure enough, the female tour guide was shifting her hips suggestively as she gazed over in their direction. Wait, no. Not in their direction. In _his_.  
  
He felt his cheeks burn up, and he quickly gulped his drink.  
  
“Dude, I think she likes you,” Leo teased, elbowing him in the ribs.  
  
Piper jumped to her feet. “I’m going to go dance,” she announced.  
  
“But it’s pop, and you hate pop,” Jason protested.  
  
“So? I feel like dancing.” And with that she sauntered her way out onto the dance floor, hips moving every bit as seductively as Reyna’s. She joined the Paradise Journey group, but within a minute a guy was dancing up on her. She spun around, moving her hips to the rhythm of the music as she danced with the guy. Her arms slinked around his neck, and his hands gripped her hips.  
  
And just like that, Jason couldn’t watch any longer. He thought back to their moment on the beach earlier. Had it really happened, or had it just been in his imagination? When he’d touched her waist, electricity had shivered up and down his fingers. She’d leaned into him, and when she’d turned, for a split second he’d thought they were about to kiss.  
  
But clearly it hadn’t really happened – it had all been in his head. And damn, if that wasn’t a bitter pill to swallow. For half a day, he’d allowed himself to think that maybe, just maybe, Piper returned his feelings. But instead she was dancing with a completely stranger. She’d probably end up hooking up with him in the back of the club. And Jason would spend another night all alone in his bed, kicking himself because, once again, he hadn’t spoken up.  
  
He spun around on his bar stool. For a split second, he was sorely tempted to order a beer, but then he remembered that they had an early morning. No. A beer wasn’t the answer to this. But the obvious answer wasn’t one he wanted to face tonight.  
  
Jason could feel Leo’s, Frank’s and Nico’s sympathetic gazes on him. Great. Even Nico felt sorry for him. He’d really hit the bottom of the barrel if Nico-I-Don’t-Give-A-Fuck-About-Anything-di Angelo felt a morsel of compassion for him.  
  
He finished off his iced tea and got to his feet. “I’m going to head back to the hotel,” he announced. “Get to bed early. I need my eight hours of sleep.”  
  
He inwardly winced. What a lame excuse.  
  
“I’ll go with you,” Nico offered. “I want to get some sleep, too.”  
  
Jason nodded. At least no one was questioning him or making noises about how he should just ask Piper to dance. He knew he should ask Piper to dance. It was _just_ a dance. But it felt like so much more. He knew if he ever got the chance to grip her hips and pull her close, he’d never let her go.  
  
He and Nico left the club. He didn’t even look towards the dance floor, too afraid of what he might see.  
  
They made their way back through the streets of the Miraflores district, towards their hotel. They passed the restaurant they’d eaten at just a couple short hours before, neither speaking.  
  
They were just a street away from their hotel when Nico finally spoke: “I won’t tell you the obvious. You already _know_ the obvious. And I know why you haven’t done the obvious. You don’t want to ruin the friendship.”  
  
Jason licked his lips. “If Piper does decide she likes me and we start dating and then we break up, then our friendship will be ruined. If I tell her how I feel and she doesn’t feel the same way, we’ll never be as close ever again. She might even hate me a little, because I kept that from her for so long. So just not doing anything…it keeps our friendship intact.”  
  
“But does it make you happy?”  
  
Jason was so stunned by the question that he came to a screeching stop. He stared at Nico. It was the last thing he’d expected to be asked, yet there it was. Did it make him happy?  
  
“Being her friend is amazing. Being able to call her my friend is incredible. Could I be happier? Sure. But I wouldn’t be happy if I inadvertently ruined our friendship. She’s my best friend, Nico. I can’t lose her. And I won’t.”  
  
“So you’re cool with watching her dance with guys at clubs? What about when she has a boyfriend? Or when she gets married?”  
  
“That’s barely been an issue. She doesn’t like to date. She prefers hookups.”  
  
Nico raised an eyebrow as they began walking again. “That must be easy to take.”  
  
“It’s not. But what she does is up to her. I’ll support her decisions no matter what.”  
  
“There’s a difference between being loyal and being stupid. You have officially crossed that line.” Nico shook his head as they stepped into their hotel. “You want my advice?”  
  
“Not really.”  
  
“Too fucking bad. We’re about to be stuck in an elevator together.”  
  
Jason groaned. He thought about taking the stairs, but he was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Taking the elevator sounded so good right now.  
  
Nico jammed the call button for the elevator, and a moment later the doors slid open. They stepped in and Jason looked at Nico. “What’s your sage advice, O Wizard of Wisdom?”  
  
Nico’s lips twitched the tiniest bit. “Wow, you’re a nerd. That sounds like something out of Dungeons and Dragons. And my sage advice is, go for it. Just fucking tell her, Jason. Then you won’t feel like you have a gigantic weight hanging out on your shoulders, keeping you standing still. You’ve got to move in one direction or another. And backwards isn’t an option. So you’d better be ready to go forward.”  
  
The doors slid open and they stepped out.  
  
“But that’s just my advice. By all means, don’t bother to take it. I’m sure you’re having a blast being all angsty and mopey and miserable.”  
  
Jason glared at Nico. “You’re kind of an asshole, you know that?”  
  
Nico’s lips curled up into a cool smile. “And to think, I don’t even have to work at it. It just comes naturally.” He waggled his fingers at Jason as he moved towards his and Hazel’s hotel room. “See you in the morning, Jason. Nighty night.”  
  
And Jason was left standing in the hall, wondering what the fuck was wrong with people.


	6. Museums and Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth's ready for a day at the museum. And Percy's ready for a day with Annabeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know it's been a minute since I last updated, but I wanted to churn out a couple more chapters before I posted another one. This is Percy and Annabeth's chapter in Lima, and it's one of my favorites so far! 
> 
> Just to let you know, after this chapter it's going to be the girls narrating the chapters for a little while, until the guys decide they want their say again (which they will). Also, not everything will be 100% accurate in here, though I'm trying. There's a lot of research to be done for each place they visit, and a lot of it is up to imagination. Since I don't want to describe something inaccurately, if the description seems brief or vague, it's because I'd rather leave it up to you guys to interpret and fill in the blanks. Plus, some things will be changed in order to fit the story. Hotels and companies will be based off of real places (the hotel they're staying at in Lima is based off of a very real place), but mostly I'm leaving them nameless. Remember, this is fiction and I just decided to take these characters and plop them down in the middle of a trip in the lifetime.
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying the journey so far! I know I am! <3

_September 3rd, Lima, Continued_

Annabeth would never admit it, but she definitely dressed carefully their first morning in Peru. It had nothing to do with Percy. Not at all. Not in the least. She just wanted to look cute for her. That was it.

She ended up choosing denim shorts and a cold-shoulder top. Something very simple, yet very classic at the same time. It was right up her alley. She tied her hair over one shoulder, and kept her makeup minimal.

After breakfast, she and Percy plotted out their route to the Larco Museum. As promised, Frank provided them with a car, a sub-compact that Annabeth suspected would navigate the busy streets of Lima as gracefully as a long-distance runner. After flipping a coin, it was decided that she would drive to the museum. She settled into the driver’s seat, adjusting the seat and the mirrors, while Percy settled into the front passenger seat. She watched out of the corner of her eye as he slid the seat back and reclined it slightly, so he’d be more comfortable. He brought up the GPS app on his phone, and Annabeth turned the key in the ignition. The car came to life with a low hum, and she pulled out of the parking lot onto the street.

It was a short drive from their hotel to the Larco Museum. As the museum did not have a parking lot, Annabeth carefully parked on the street.

The museum was a pretty white building, with bushes and trees planted around the front and along the ledge. The Peruvian flag rose from the top, and security guards stood around the building, keeping a close eye on the street and the tourists approaching the museum.

Paradise Journey had provided them with vouchers for 25% off their admission fee. They paid their entrance fee at the front desk, and were granted access to the main part of the museum.

They walked into the first room, which was dedicated to an overview of their trip through the museum.

“Can you believe that the Inca weren’t the first culture in Peru to be successful?” Annabeth asked Percy.

“I wouldn’t consider the Inca successful, seeing as how they were wiped out by a bunch of guys in tights and buckled shoes,” Percy responded. “But they did seem pretty cool.”

The next few rooms were centered around the cultures of Peru, back in ancient times. As they walked into the third room, Annabeth realized that there was already a tour group in there. And then she realized it was their tour group – or at least part of it.

Leo, Calypso, Frank, Hazel, Nico, Reyna, and Will were all there, oohing and ahhing over the various sculptures and pottery. Well, everyone but Nico. Nico just looked pissed off about being there, but since that seemed to be his normal state, Annabeth didn’t think too much of it.

Percy grinned when he saw the others. Annabeth found herself hoping that he wasn’t pleased about seeing Reyna.

“Hey, talk about a small world,” Percy commented. “You guys stalking us or something?”

“You wish, Jackson,” Leo retorted with a grin of his own. “We got here first, so if anyone’s stalking anyone, it’s you stalking us.”

“Why would I want to stalk any of you when I’ve got Annabeth for company?” Percy replied. Annabeth felt her face heat up, but she still had to fight off a pleased grin.

Leo considered that. “Okay, touché.”

The group continued onto the next room. Leo nodded to what appeared to be a statue shaped like one of the Incan gods. “Now that is seriously cool. If someone carved a statue of me, I’d be their new best friend.”

“What a horrible fate for someone so pathetic and desperate,” Calypso drawled. “That statue is impressive, but I’ve seen better pieces.”

Leo looked taken aback. It was the first time Annabeth had seen him look surprised or shocked. But he quickly recovered. “So what? It’s not about you. I can think something is cool. I don’t need your permission, princess.”

Calypso’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know anything about art, Leo Valdez.”

“But I do know a little something about ancient south American cultures,” Leo quipped back. “My mother can trace her roots back to the Aztecs. My dad’s family is from Peru, and up until two generations ago, they lived in Peru.”

“And I suppose you think that makes you an expert on Incas.”

“No. But it does give me a connection to these pieces of art, to the ceramics and pottery and steles we’re seeing. To the statues. So do me a favor, Calypso. Shut your trap and stop talking shit about things you know nothing about.”

Calypso’s eyes darkened with anger, but she pressed her lips together and turned away. In a loud voice she declared, “This urn is beautiful! I can’t imagine anyone thinking it’s not the most impressive piece in the room.”

Percy and Will jumped forward simultaneously, steering Leo away from Calypso. 

“That’s so cool that your family is from Peru,” Will said to Leo. “They obviously weren’t Incas, though?”

“I think the Moche. I’m not positive, I’d have to ask him. But being here…it’s incredible. It’d be even more incredible if some people could keep their thoughts to themselves.” He glared over at Calypso.

“Ignore her,” Percy advised in an undertone. “I don’t know why she’s acting like that, but she’s probably insecure and feels like she has something to prove. Just try to avoid her.”

Annabeth watched as Leo’s shoulders slowly relaxed. He nodded and stepped away from Percy and Will, and instead struck up a conversation with Frank about a piece of pottery.

“Come on, let’s go on to the next room,” Percy said, and Annabeth walked with him to room number four.

“That was really smart what you said to Leo,” she commented. “That Calypso is insecure and probably feels like she needs to prove herself.”

Percy shrugged. “I went to a lot of different schools in New York City. I’ve got dyslexia and ADHD. I got kicked out of a few schools. I went to a couple of fancy private schools, including one for troubled kids. The kids there were horrible. They stole cars or shoplifted because their parents were too busy for them. A lot of them felt like they had to prove their self-worth. And they bullied other kids. I don’t think Calypso’s a bad person or mean. But Leo seems to bring some sort of insecurity out of her, and she goes on the offense. I don’t know why, but that’s my take on it.” He paused. “I’m not going to lie, though. I’m not sure I’d listen to my own advice.”

“How so?” Annabeth examined a Nasca drum.

“I don’t know if I could ignore her. I’m not great at that. My natural instinct would be to respond likewise, to turn as nasty as her. If she was a guy, I’d probably hit her.”

Annabeth’s mouth went dry. There. There it was. A reminder of Luke. Luke could never leave well enough alone, either. He would just as soon fight someone as try to work out a disagreement. She could remember begging him to walk away from the scrawny kid who’d accidentally dropped his biology textbook on Luke’s foot. She could also remember the horrible crunching noise of Luke’s fist colliding with the boy’s nose.

But Percy had also just admitted he wasn’t good at ignoring people. He was aware of it. Surely that was a good sign, right? And he seemed so nice. Hopefully he really was. Hopefully he wasn’t the type of person to beat up on people smaller and weaker than him.

They made their way through the exhibit, pointing out pieces that they liked, and marveling at the ancient cultures that only existed in their imaginations. And then they stepped into another room, and Annabeth blinked. Vases and statues stood behind display cases, but there was something odd about them. They showed people entwined in what appeared to be intimate embraces. As Annabeth looked closer, she realized just how intimate those embraces were. Heat rose into her cheeks. They had walked into the erotic part of the museum and hadn’t even realized.

Percy offered her a lazy grin. “Shall we continue?”

“I guess so,” she agreed, while thinking she had to be crazy to walk through an erotic gallery with Percy Jackson. She had a hard enough time trying to keep her hands to herself without any visual stimulation. If she made it through the whole gallery without jumping Percy, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

If Annabeth had been going through the exhibit with Piper, they would have cracked jokes and made fun of the positions featured on the pottery. Piper would have explained to Annabeth why the positions were so ridiculous, and Annabeth would have mentioned the erotic art from Roman days. 

It wasn’t like that with Percy. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip, wondering what he was thinking as he gazed upon what appeared to be a fertility statue. She knew what she was thinking – if it wasn’t for the fact that they had roommates at the hotel, she’d be more than happy to drag Percy back to one of their rooms and try out a few of the positions imprinted on the pottery. His black t-shirt showed off his well-defined biceps and shoulders, and it was tight enough that if she concentrated, she could almost see the abs under the thin cotton. She knew they existed. She’d seen him at the gym drying the sweat from his face on the bottom of his tank top.

Percy grinned at her. “So I guess you could say that this statue is fertile.”

Annabeth gaped at him for a moment, before cracking up. It was an awful joke, cheesy and obvious and ridiculous all at the same time, but it broke the tension. “That’s just bad. If you were trying for a pun, you failed horribly.”

“Yes, but the sculptor failed horribly at accurately representing what a human actually looks like, so I’m in good company.”

Annabeth’s laughter turned into uncontrollable giggles. It was true – the statues were squat and square, and the vaginas were portrayed more as tubes. Not a great representation in the least. 

Percy grabbed her hand and pulled her around the exhibit, making horrible jokes about fertility and the sculptor’s abilities. It wasn’t exactly what Annabeth had originally had in mind, but somehow, this seemed more fun.

The next room depicted more erotic statues, including one of was supposed to be a man and a woman in the middle of sex, with the man squatting down and the woman on her back.

“If I ever tried that position out, I’m pretty sure I’d never have to do weighted squats ever again,” Percy commented. “My ass would be, like, steel.”

Annabeth’s gaze slid down to the back of his jeans. “I’m pretty sure it already is.”

Percy smirked. “You’ve thought about it?”

“I mean, I’ve seen you at the gym. You lift pretty heavy. I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t be hard as a rock.”

Oh god. This was getting worse and worse. She just had to go and stick her foot in her mouth.

“So, you’ve thought about how hard my ass is?”

“It’s crossed my mind once or twice,” she said with a casual shrug. “Don’t let it go to your head, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“No, of course not. I would never let the fact that Annabeth Chase has been checking out my ass go to my head.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but she was fighting back a smile.

“And don’t worry,” Percy continued on, “I’ve thought about your ass once or twice, too. But it doesn’t mean anything, so don’t let it go to your head.”

“I will kick your ass,” Annabeth threatened.

“Don’t break your foot.”

“Egotistical much?”

“You just said that you’re pretty sure my ass is like steel. If you kick steel, your foot will probably shatter.”

“Oh, you are so asking for it,” Annabeth growled. 

“Yeah? What’re you going to do? Tackle me? Pin me down? Tie my hands above my head? Have your way with me?”

Annabeth smirked. “You don’t want me to have my way with you. I’d break you.” And with swinging hips, she sauntered into the next room, leaving Percy with a dumbstruck look on his face.

Percy recovered quick enough that by the time they were halfway through the next room, he was back to cracking stupid jokes and making Annabeth laugh so hard she thought her ribs would shatter. Neither of them mentioned what had just passed between them, but from the way Percy kept glancing sideways at her, Annabeth suspected it was all he could really think about. God knew, it was all she could think about. But she had to reign herself in. Percy seemed to bring out something in her that she hadn’t known existed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard with anyone who wasn’t Piper, and she sure as hell hadn’t flirted that hard with anyone in…well, ever. Not even with Luke. And she’d spent a good portion of her high school years trying to get Luke to notice her.

They decided to have lunch at the museum’s restaurant. Annabeth showed her card proclaiming celiaco to the waiter, and he immediately let the head chef know.

“So…” Percy said after a moment, “you’re celiac?”

Annabeth took a sip of her water. She had known that Percy would figure it out sooner or later, and it wasn’t like it was embarrassing. But she still didn’t like to trumpet around that she had this weakness, that her body would attack itself if she so much as took a bite of a donut. 

“Yeah,” she said after a moment. “I am.”

She braced herself for the usual questions: Could she eat any gluten? What happened if she did? Did she throw up a lot? Oh, didn’t she consider herself so lucky that she lived in a day and age where gluten-free food was in abundance? Couldn’t she just eat a little bit of that cookie or slice of pizza? Why couldn’t she risk it, just this once? Wasn’t she being overly dramatic about her intolerance to gluten? What could she even eat?

“So, what exactly can’t you eat?” Percy asked, surprising her. It wasn’t something most people asked. Piper and Jason had been the only ones so far. “I mean, I know wheat, but there’s more, isn’t there?”

“There is. Rye, barley, malt, some oats, spelt, kamut, and faro. There’s a few more, but they’re varieties of wheat.”

“Wow. That’s so much. When did you get diagnosed?”

“When I was 17. I was sick all the time, I constantly had stomach cramps and headaches, and I just felt like shit. My dad took me to the doctor, and he started running tests. My antibody levels were super high, and he told me to stop eating gluten immediately. I started feeling better about two weeks later.”

“Was everyone pretty supportive?”

“Most people were. My mom…she wasn’t, not really. She hadn’t wanted my dad to take me to the doctor in the first place. She said I was making it all up. My stepmom was pretty iffy about it, too. My boyfriend at the time…he thought it was funny. He used to try to get me to eat regular pizza and whatever, just to see how I’d react.”

Percy’s jaw dropped. “That’s just…that’s fucked up. I’ve known people who have celiac. They get so sick when they get glutened, it’s horrible to watch.”

Annabeth nodded. “So I keep it to myself for the most part. My mom finally did some research on celiac disease and decided she supported me. But my boyfriend – ex boyfriend – never really cared. I guess looking back on it, he was kind of a sociopath.”

“I mean, yeah. He sounds like one. I can’t even imagine feeling so sick and finding the answer, only to have people tell you that you’re making it up. That’d piss me off so bad.”

“It pissed me off, too,” she assured him. “It was a very stressful time.”

“I don’t think I know anyone who has celiac disease who has had to deal with that shit.”

“Most people don’t. I’m just…special.”

Percy traced a line on the table. “Your mom and your ex don’t sound like great people.”

“My ex…he really wasn’t. My mom…She tries. But she can’t see past her own nose.”

Percy nodded slowly. “I see. Some people can’t. But that doesn’t mean it’s fair that it affects you in such a negative way.”

Annabeth shrugged a shoulder and smiled. “I live on the opposite coast from her. And I’m not even in the same country with her right now. So I’m not too worried.”

He nodded. “Still. I’m sorry you have to go through that.”

And Annabeth felt her heart open just a little bit – just a nudge.

* * *

Their lunch was delicious, but in Percy’s opinion, the company was even better. He felt like he could spend all day just sitting there with Annabeth, talking to her, looking at her, listening to her recite architectural facts about Peru. They finished their lunch and paid for their food, before making their way out to their car. Percy offered to drive, so Annabeth passed him the keys, and he slid into the driver’s seat. Annabeth was tall, but she was still nearly a head shorter than him. He adjusted the seat and the mirrors as Annabeth climbed into the passenger seat.

She pulled up the directions to the beach on her phone, and he pulled out onto the road with a quick glance in the mirror and over his shoulder. Annabeth directed him to the beach they’d settled on, and he managed to find an empty spot in the crowded parking lot. They jumped out of the car and made their way down to the beach.

The beach wasn’t the sandy paradise Percy had gotten used to in California, but it was still beautiful. Percy could hear the city at his back, but the waves felt like mist on his face. It made him think of his parents, who both loved the sea, no matter which one it was. It made him think of a summer spent in a rundown cabin at Montauk with his mom the year she finally left Gabe. And it made him think of walking along the beach with his dad, dragging a stick in the sand. Memories, good and bad, welled up in him, and the only thing that kept him going was gazing out at the ocean. As long as he could keep his eyes on the water, everything would be okay. That had been his motto when he was 10, and it was his motto now.

Eyes on the water. It’ll be okay, Percy.

He closed his eyes, remembering those words spoken with a brush of a hand against his cheek, even as Gabe screamed obscenities in the background. Even as his hand hit Sally Jackson’s face, resulting in a black eye and a swollen cheek that would take weeks to fully heal.

He shook his head. No. They had escaped from Gabe. They were fine. He was fine.

“Hey, are you okay?”

It was Annabeth’s voice. It grounded him, brought him back to reality.

He blinked and looked around at her. Her concerned expression pulled at his conscious. He must have gotten too quiet, too focused on the water. Perhaps the expression had slid right off his face, or maybe he’d been squeezing his eyes shut, his hands balled into tight fists as if ready for a fight. He didn’t want her to see him like that. Not now, not ever.

He forced a smile on his face. “I’m fine,” he assured her. “Just got caught up staring at the waves.”

“It’s beautiful,” Annabeth nodded. “I love it out here. There’s just nothing like the ocean. So much beauty and it’s so wild. Nothing can tame it.”

“I think that’s one of my favorite things about it,” Percy told her. “Other parts have been tamed by humans – forests, lakes, even deserts. But the ocean? Forget about it. We can’t build on it. We can’t control it. We can only admire it and acknowledge how beautiful and mysterious and dangerous it is.”

Annabeth smiled. “Exactly. You can live on it, but not forever. And the ocean can always take that away. It has power in a way that nothing else really does.”

“Exactly. That’s such a good way to put it. Nothing else has the power that the ocean has.” He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Did you have fun at the museum?”

“So much fun. Thank you so much for coming with me,” she said. “Piper probably would have enjoyed it, but she might’ve gotten bored halfway through.”

Percy shrugged. “It was cool. I learned a lot, and the stuff was interesting. It can be hard to hold my attention.”

“One track mind?” Annabeth teased.

He smiled a little. “Something like that. I’m pretty ADHD, and I have dyslexia. It’s not like it was when I was a kid, but I still have a hard time focusing. If I’m bored, it’s just not going to happen.”

Annabeth nodded. “You need to be captivated, intrigued. If you’re fascinated with something, I bet time goes by really fast, doesn’t it?”

Percy nodded too, surprised by her assessment. “Yeah, exactly like that. Like when my stepdad took my mom and me to Patriots Point in Charleston, or when I went to the aquarium in Atlanta with my dad. Those days felt like they went by in seconds. But during math class at school, I felt like I’d be stuck there forever.”

Annabeth nodded slowly. “I spent pretty much all of high school working my ass off to get a perfect GPA. My days went by so slow, because I spent most of my time at school. I was involved in student council, I was captain of the girls’ volleyball team my senior year, and I was editor-in-chief for the student paper. All that, plus an autoimmune diagnosis. I don’t even remember how I got through that year, but I managed to pull through somehow.” She paused for a moment, before continuing on. “It got to the point where I was so stressed out that I would have a panic attack every morning before school. I was so tired, running only on coffee and energy bars at one point, and I was absolutely miserable. When my freshman year of college rolled around, I promised myself I wouldn’t get to that point ever again. I couldn’t go through another senior year of high school. But I was already heading in that direction. It’s why I agreed to go on this trip. I needed a break. I was already exhausted and stressed, and it was just going to get worse if I kept doing what I’d been doing.”

“You needed to walk away,” Percy stated.

“Exactly.”

“I’ve felt like that a few times. Sometimes you just need to leave everything behind for a little while.” He bent down and undid his shoelaces. He removed his shoes and socks, and rolled his jeans up, before turning to Annabeth. “Come with me?”

She smiled, and kicked off her own shoes and socks.

Percy held out his hand to her, feeling a little shy, but she took it with no problem. Together they waded into the surf, the ocean lapping at their ankles. The water felt like an electric shock, poignantly cold, and Annabeth let out a shriek as the water hit her mid-calf. 

Percy laughed. “Used to California waters, aren’t you?”

“Shut up, not all of us can be cool New Yorkers who loved icy water,” Annabeth tossed back. “And it’s not like the Pacific Ocean isn’t cold. It is. But I don’t think it’s this cold.”

“Probably not. Not like we’re going to be able to compare oceans for a few months.” They moved a little further in. Annabeth began to shiver. “Okay, time to turn back,” Percy decided. The cold didn’t bother him, it never had. But clearly Annabeth was having trouble. He guided her back and led her back into the sun. “You’re not getting hypothermia on me, are you?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m just cold.”

Percy unzipped his hoodie and draped it over her shoulders. “Come on, I’ll share my body heat with you.”

Annabeth flashed him an amused smile. “You’ve got a couple of ideas on how to do that?”

“I always do.” He led her back to the car. Once they were in, he got the heater going and made sure the vents were all aimed at Annabeth. “There’s a coffee shop nearby. Do you want something hot to drink?”

She nodded. She was still shivering, but not as bad as before. Percy felt a wave of guilt. It had been his idea to wade into the water. He hadn’t even considered the water temperature or the fact that Annabeth would be more susceptible to it.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he drove to the coffee shop. “I shouldn’t have suggested we go out into the water. I was stupid. I’m sorry.”

Annabeth looked at him in surprise. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve been cold before, it’s not like this was the first time ever. I should have been thinking about how cold the water would be, and I wasn’t. I just figured it would be warm.”

Percy shook his head. He parked in front of the coffee shop and they made their way inside. Annabeth ordered a cappuccino, and Percy got a tea. The coffee shop had a selection of freshly-baked pastries, including a couple of gluten-free ones. Annabeth selected a chocolate éclair, one of the gluten-free choices, while Percy opted for a prusiano – a type of puff pastry stuffed with custard, cream, strawberries, and chestnut crunch. Percy paid for both their coffees and their pastries, even as Annabeth protested and even tried to knock his hand away when he handed the cashier the correct amount of sols. They got their food and their drinks, and sat down at a corner coffee table. The sun shone in through the windows, casting a warm light over them.

Percy took a sip of his tea, and felt the hot liquid warm his insides. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he’d been a little cold, too. Not nearly as bad as Annabeth, but he’d definitely been a tiny bit chilled. 

Some of the color returned to Annabeth’s cheeks as she sipped her cappuccino and nibbled on her éclair, and Percy felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “How’re you feeling? Are you warming up?”

She nodded. “I’m a lot more comfortable.” She peered a little closer at him. “Stop feeling guilty. It’s not your fault.”

Percy looked away. He supposed some of the guilt he still felt must have shown up on his face.

“Don’t worry about it. You can’t control the ocean temperature. And it’s not up to you to take care of me,” Annabeth added sternly. “That’s up to me. But I do appreciate the help.” She smiled at him. “But I don’t appreciate you beating yourself up over this. It’s honestly not a big deal. This is nothing like the time Piper and I were hiking, and I slipped on a rock and managed to break my ankle. I went into pretty bad shock then.”

“What happened?” Percy asked, both horrified and curious.

“Luckily we weren’t too far from the trailhead. Piper managed to get me back to the car, and she took me to the hospital. She said I scared the shit out of her, though. I guess my lips turned blue. I was so cold, from the inside out. I thought my blood was turning to ice. So this was nothing.”

Percy nodded slowly. He felt slightly better, but he knew it would take awhile for the guilt to pass, if it ever did at all. Guilt had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. Guilt for not being lovable enough to keep his dad around. Guilt for not being able to protect his mom from Gabe. Guilt over being a problem child. Guilt over needing to go to “special” schools that cost nearly a year’s salary for his mom. Guilt over even existing. His thoughts weren’t as dark, but times like these reminded him of the worst moments of his life.

He subconsciously trailed a finger over the tattoo on his right arm. He had gotten the tattoo the day he turned 18, to hide the long, jagged scar he had received eight years before, courtesy of Gabe. The tattoo was a roaring lion, both his zodiac sign and a reminder to always be the lion, to never let anyone walk all over him ever again.

Annabeth’s eyes followed his movements, and she nodded to his tattoo. “A lion?”

“Yeah.”

“Because you’re a Leo?”

“It’s part of the reason.” He took a bite of his pastry, focusing on the soft texture and the sweet filling. “So, what did you and Piper end up doing last night?”

“Oh, we went for a swim on the roof pool.” Annabeth traced a line along their table. “I know everyone’s talking about going to some dance club tonight, but clubs aren’t really my scene.”

“Mine neither,” Percy confessed.

She offered him a shy grin. “Would you want to go swimming with me instead?”

He felt his face split into a grin of his own. “I’d love to.”

* * *

They ended up walking through the Miraflores district for awhile longer. A couple hours after their stop for coffee, they wandered into a restaurant and had a light dinner. The sun was sinking deep into the ocean by that point, so they returned to the car and drove back to the hotel. By the time they got there, the others had already left for the evening.

“We leave at 7am tomorrow morning,” Annabeth commented with a laugh. “Everyone is going to be so tired.”

“Not us,” Percy replied with a grin. “We’re staying in. We’ll be so annoyingly chipper that they want to dump coffee over our heads.”

He knew for a fact that that would be Jason’s immediate reaction. Jason was one of those people who needed his eight hours of sleep, no matter what. If he got a minute less than that, he was cranky the whole damn day. He’d been especially fun during finals week the previous semester, when he’d been up ‘til midnight studying, and then had had to wake up at 6am for his first class.

Percy and Annabeth separated in the hall outside their rooms so that they could throw on their swimsuits. They rendezvoused again a few minutes later. Percy’s eyes widened when he saw Annabeth. She wore a simple one-piece bathing suit, and it looked incredible. It hugged her curves perfectly, and it was just low cut enough that Percy could get a glimpse of cleavage. He surreptitiously wiped at his chin to make sure he wasn’t drooling.

Annabeth grinned at him. “Come on!” She grabbed his hand and hauled him up to the rooftop pool. The view of Lima was incredible, but Percy found himself more interested in the view right in front of him. Even the clear blue pool didn’t look as inviting as Annabeth.

He mentally shook himself. No. The last thing he needed was for Annabeth to get caught up in his world. His demons had ruined every single romantic relationship he’d ever had. He couldn’t alienate Annabeth the way he had his ex-girlfriends.

Annabeth leapt into the pool, slipping under the water. She surfaced, pushing her long blonde hair back. “Well?” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you coming in or what?”

Percy jumped into the pool.


	7. Boats and Dune Buggies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, here's chapter 7! We're moving right along through Peru now. That being said, I've got a couple more chapters written after this, and at about 100 pages, and I STILL don't have them out of Peru. I don't know if they'll have quite as much page-time in other countries after this, though of course I want to make sure that I do their trip justice. I'd also like to mention that with this story being so expansive, I'm trying to make sure I'm chapters ahead of what I'm posting, so I'm not getting bogged down and lost. So chapter updates will probably take a little bit of time. But I'm still loving this story, and I hope everyone else is too!

_September 4th, Lima – Huacachina  
_  
The alarm on her phone went off way too soon for Piper’s liking.  
  
She groaned, rolled over, and fumbled for her iPhone. She managed to silence the alarm, before sitting up in bed. Her head ached, her body felt heavy, and she could still smell the scent of the stranger she had danced with the night before. They had slinked away to a private corner to kiss for a bit, but it hadn’t gone any further than that. He had invited her back to his place, but somehow it just hadn’t felt right. Which was odd in itself, because normally she didn’t care if a hookup felt right or not. She wasn’t looking for a relationship, so she didn’t need Mr. Right. She just needed some fun for the night.  
  
But something had been off. Wrong, maybe. Out of the corner of her eye, she had spotted Jason and Nico leaving the club. At first she had thought maybe Jason just wanted to make a phone call or something, but after three songs had passed, she had realized he had left for the night. And he hadn’t even stopped by to let her know. She had felt a twinge of hurt, before realizing that maybe _he’d_ been a little bit hurt when she’d suddenly decided to go dance without him. All she’d been able to decipher through tangled emotions and crumpled feelings was that she hadn’t liked the idea of Reyna watching Jason. At all. And so she’d gone and flirted with the hottest guy she’d been able to find. She’d made out with him for awhile. And she’d lost a night of making fun of lame music and drunken partiers with her best friend in the whole world. And now all she felt was regret, more than she should have. Maybe it was just because the guy she’d kissed really hadn’t been that great at it. But from the way her stomach churned and her heart beat a little faster, she wondered if maybe the reason she felt so off went a little deeper.  
  
But fuck it, it was way too early to deal with emotions and shit.  
  
The bathroom door opened and Annabeth stepped out, rubbing her hair dry with a towel. “Hurry up!” she urged Piper. “We’re leaving in less than an hour, and we have a long-ass bus ride to Cusco. So if you want breakfast, you better get a move-on.”  
  
Piper showered quickly and threw on a pair of leggings, a tank top, and an oversized sweatshirt, before tying up her Vans and throwing her hair into a bun. The girls gathered their things together, and they trekked down to the hotel’s restaurant, where Frank, Reyna, Nico, Percy, Jason, and Hazel were waiting for them. Piper felt her body flash red hot with rage when she saw Reyna sitting beside Jason.  
  
“You okay?” Annabeth whispered to Piper. “You look a little…flushed.”  
  
“Fine,” Piper mumbled. “I guess I just need to eat.” She purposefully sat down on Jason’s other side. “Morning.”  
  
“Morning,” he replied carefully.  
  
“It’s early.”  
  
“Well, you were out late,” he pointed out. As usual, there was no judgment in his tone. He never judged her when he knew she’d been out late with a guy. She’d had a handful of other guy friends the last couple years, and none of them had been as cool as Jason about her penchant for hookups. She’d been called a slut and a tease on a number of occasions, and had ended up deleting their numbers and blocking them on social media. She supposed she was a little promiscuous, but she couldn’t see how it was hurting anyone. She was always careful about birth control. She always made sure the guy was not attached in any way. And she never brought the guy in question back to her apartment, because she didn’t want Annabeth to feel uncomfortable in her own home. And she sure as hell never pointed out her hookups to Jason. She suspected that Jason didn’t really like her hooking up with guys, but that was because he was so into monogamy. Piper had tried the monogamous route. She hadn’t liked it.  
  
“True.” She grabbed the coffee pot on the table and poured herself a cup. She added her usual cream and sugar, and took a sip. It was strong and sweet. Perfect. “But how many times have we ever gone to a Lima club?”  
  
Jason shrugged. “I know you had fun, but that’s really not my scene. I didn’t have nearly as much fun as you did.” For the first time ever, a hint of bitterness entered his voice, and Piper’s stomach dropped. Was he mad at her about the guy? Was he just pissed that she’d left him to go dance? What was his _deal_?  
  
Piper’s thoughts must have been clear on her face, because Jason’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just tired, I guess. I’m glad you had fun.”  
  
“I’m sorry you didn’t,” Piper said honestly.  
  
Leo, Calypso, and Will trickled in soon after, and the group ordered their breakfast. Piper’s veggie omelet was amazing, and after a second cup of coffee she felt good as new.  
  
Well, almost. Despite Jason’s apology, he still seemed distant. He chatted with the others, but barely spoke to her all through breakfast. And so it was with guilt resting heavily on her shoulders that she hauled her luggage out of the hotel after breakfast, and proceeded onwards to catch the bus to Cusco. They bought more coffee from a nearby vendor, steaming hot coffee that burnt Piper’s tongue when she took a sip as the bus pulled up along the curb.  
  
The bus ride would take approximately three days, with two overnight stops at towns along the way. Piper wasn’t looking forward to spending the next few days on a bus, though she knew they’d be seeing plenty of Peru along the way. She remembered reading that there was a faster way to get to Cusco, but the roads were so narrow and winding that they weren’t safe, and a lot of buses got into accidents along the way.  
  
The interior of the bus was surprisingly nice, with reclining seats, air conditioning, and a TV that the whole bus could see. The luggage rack above their heads was spacious, and Piper discovered blankets and pillows tucked in a little storage compartment under her seat. All in all, it felt luxurious for a bus. She knew the company was a separate entity from Paradise Journey, and that they specialized in safe, comfortable travel through Peru. She’d heard stories of other buses crashing, especially during bad weather. But that was due to the route and the speed. This bus company only took safe, reputable routes.   
And they’d teamed up with Paradise Journey to ensure safe travel for as many people as possible.  
  
“Next stop is Paracas!” announced Frank. “It is roughly a 3.5 hour ride. We’ll get off the bus for a few hours. You’re free to look around the town, but there will also be an excursion to the Ballestas Islands.”  
  
Piper felt a wave of excitement swoop through her stomach. They were leaving Lima now. They were into the world tour now. None of them could be pulled away, not now. It was too late and they were too far out of reach.  
  
Beside her, Jason’s thumb moved rapidly over his phone’s keypad, googling the Ballestas Islands. His eyes widened as he pulled up a picture. Piper leaned over for a better view, inhaling a whiff of his cologne. It smelled amazing, clean and sweet, just like Jason.  
  
“It’s beautiful,” Jason proclaimed, gazing down at the picture of deep blue water and rocky islands that looked more like cliffs.  
  
It really was, but Piper suspected it was even more gorgeous in person. It had the natural, fantastic beauty that cameras could never entirely capture. And as it was, she still had their mini spat on her mind.  
  
“Are we okay?” she asked Jason. “I don’t want to fight. Are you mad because of last night?”  
  
He opened his mouth and then closed it, as if he was considering his response. The bus rocked along, past empty industrial buildings, the somber gray clashing with the deep blue of the sky. Piper has nearly finished her to-go cup of coffee when he spoke again.  
  
“I’m not mad,” he said finally. “Clubs aren’t really my thing anyway, and I guess I just expected you to be as bored as I was. But I’m glad you had fun,” he added, sounding as if he was pushing the words out reluctantly. “I was just being moody, and I’m sorry.”  
  
Piper swigged the rest of her coffee, until only the dregs remained. She launched the paper cup into a nearby trashcan that had been bolted to the floor of the bus. Outside, she could see the buildings giving way to open freeway. They were out of Lima.  
  
“I didn’t mean to ditch you last night,” she said carefully. “I just – “ She _what_? She’d seen the come-hither look Reyna had shot Jason, and she’d just reacted. She’d hopped off her stool and swished her hips right out to the dance floor, a sudden, overwhelming urge to prove to the whole damn club – but mostly to Jason – that she was every bit as hot as Reyna. She swallowed hard. That sounded an awful lot like jealousy.  
  
She wanted to be honest, but she also didn’t want to sound stupid.  
  
Thankfully, Reyna was sitting at the back of the bus with Hazel and Nico. Will sat in front of Nico, chatting with Reyna, so she was well-occupied.  
  
“I was rude,” Piper said at last. “I just assumed you’d follow me out onto the dance floor and you didn’t. I should’ve asked.”  
  
Jason nodded slowly. “Did anything – uh – happen with that guy?”  
  
Piper’s face flashed hot. She and Jason never discussed her hookups, no matter how innocent. And this had been one of her more innocent ones. Yet here he was, asking for details. And she wasn’t quite sure why.  
  
“Nothing really,” she said offhandedly. “He wasn’t really my type.”  
  
“Oh. Okay.” Looking slightly happier, Jason settled back against his seat, phone still in his hand, still scrolling through pictures.  
  
Piper flashed back to the day before on the beach where, for a dizzy, elated moment she had thought she and Jason were about to kiss. For the first time, she found herself considering the possibility that her friendship with Jason was less than platonic, that it might be shifting in a direction she had _never_ expected.  
  
She felt suddenly desperate to talk to Annabeth, to make some sense of this, to hear her female best friend walk her through this in a logical manner with step by step directions. But Annabeth was across the aisle, laughing at something Percy had said.  
  
No, this would have to wait. Piper couldn’t make the guys switch seats, especially when Annabeth looked so happy and content. She had heard stories about Annabeth‘s ex-boyfriend, Luke. He had sounded like a narcissist to end all narcissists. Annabeth deserved to be happy with a guy like Percy, who seemed so nice and cheerful.  
  
Besides, Piper was probably freaking out about absolutely nothing at all. She was only going on a few hours of sleep, and she had settled into a deep, caffeine-induced haze. Her brain was playing tricks on her. _Right_...?  
  
She couldn’t convince herself. And so she resolved to put it out of her mind until she could deal with it reasonably. Jason was still looking up pictures of the islands on his phone, looking much happier than he had a few minutes ago. He seemed so much more cheerful now that he knew that nothing had happened with the guy in the club. And Piper found herself wondering how moody _she_ would be if she’d thought Jason had hooked up with someone else.  
  
Wait. Someone else?  
  
Exhaustion is a bitch, she decided. I’m losing my mind.  
  
“You okay?” Jason asked her. “You look a little pale.”  
  
She forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just tired.”  
  
“You should get some rest.”  
  
“I just had coffee.”  
  
Jason shrugged. “That sounds like a _you_ problem.”  
  
Her lips twitched. “Maybe I’ll just listen to some music.”  
  
“You do that.”  
  
She pulled out her earbuds and plugged into her music app. Her eyes closed as a guitar thrummed in her ears, and the tension eased from her shoulders. Better. Much better. She tried to shift her focus over to their day ahead. They’d be sailing to a beautiful island for an exotic day trip. And in just a few days’ time they’d be hiking up to Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city that had more or less been abandoned for centuries. She needed to focus on _that_, not on confused feelings and hazy impressions. There was way too much going on right now for her to find herself confused by _Jason Grace_ of all people.  
  
Despite the three cups of coffee she’d downed in the past couple hours, she found herself drifting off as the stark freeway blurred through the windowpane, imprinted against her eyelids.  
  
She jerked away as the bus rolled to a stop. She yanked out an earbud, sitting straight up in her seat as she looked around wildly, momentarily confused.  
  
In her ear Jason whispered, “We’re here.”  
  
Sure enough, the bus had parked in front of a small café, and the others were now disembarking. Frank stood at the door of the bus, passing out printed maps of the town to each traveler, “in case you don’t want to join us on the ride out to the islands”.  
  
From the sounds of it, Paracas was more or less an average coastal town, the sort of place that Piper had spent much of her childhood. Unsurprisingly, Nico opted to stay behind, as did Leo and Will. Reyna agreed to stay behind with them, while Piper, Jason, Annabeth, Percy, Hazel, Calypso, and Frank made their way down to the docks. A boardwalk stretched out into the ocean, all wooden planks and white railings. It looked like the perfect spot for a romantic walk in the evening.  
  
A handful of boats, mostly speedboats, were docked down by the shore. They each paid 13 _soles_ – the full price, as Paradise Journey did not offer a discount for this particular outing – slipped on the offered lifejackets, helped each other apply sunblock, and a few minutes later were escorted into a large speedboat. Their tour guide was a cheerful man who introduced himself as Miguel. He walked around, making sure everyone’s lifejacket was properly fastened, and did a quick headcount. Frank seemed to have met him before, and the two spoke easily as Miguel gunned the boat’s engine, and eased it away from the shore.  
  
The wind and surf coming off the Pacific Ocean was sharp and chilly, but the late morning sun felt bright and hot, and Piper was thankful for her sunblock. She didn’t burn easily, she mostly tanned, but when she did burn it felt as if someone had branded a hot iron against her skin. In fact, the last time she had burned was when she’d been staying with her cousins in Oklahoma during the middle of August. She hadn’t been as responsible about applying sunblock as she should have, and she’d promptly turned the exact shade of a very unhappy lobster. Her cousins had laughed and teased her, but had also helped her spread the cool goo from the Aloe Vera plant all over her body until she felt both sticky and slick at the same time. Her sunburn had cooled to a warm tan by the time she had boarded her plane back to California, the pain and the peeling merely a memory to serve as a warning.  
  
Her ponytail whipped in the wind, and over the salty scent of the ocean she could smell the odd yet comforting mix of Jason’s cologne and sunblock. He smelled like a very clean, very sweet coconut, which made her grin a bit. She shifted just a bit closer to him, breathing in his scent just a smidgen more deeply.  
  
Across the bench seats from her and Jason sat Annabeth and Percy. They looked cozy together, legs and arms just barely touching, but not enough to give someone the wrong idea – whatever that was supposed to be.  
  
It only seemed like minutes before they came in sight of land.  
  
“Las Islas Ballestas,” Frank began over the roar of the boat’s engine and the rush of the wind, “are protected. No one is allowed to walk on the islands or in any way disturb the natural habitat. But keep an eye out for the Humboldt Penguins and the hunchback whales. And enjoy the beautiful view!”  
  
And sure enough, rising from the water were huge rocks, some red like clay, some silvery white and jagged from where the surf had broken against them. Piper spotted sea lions lounging on the sun-warmed rocks, eyeing the speedboat coolly as it sped past. Piper swiped into her phone’s camera app and began snapping pictures like a rapid fire. She adored the way the sunlight seemed to shine off the sea lions’ fur, smoothing it out and giving it a glimmering look. The sky shone a deep, bright blue, and made the perfect backdrop for the tropical canvas.  
  
And then they rounded part of the rocky isles, and Piper gasped in excitement as Jason cried, “Penguins!”  
  
Sure enough, the Humboldt Penguins were waddling around on a rock. A couple were snoozing in the sun, while others swept their fins through the crystal blue water in search of food. Two particularly energetic penguins dove into the water, and Piper felt a longing to join them. The water looked so warm and inviting.  
  
She settled for snapping more pictures, taking care to ensure that her target was positioned in the frame just the way she wanted.  
  
Gasps erupted from behind her, and she spun in her seat. Hunchback whales had joined them.  
  
They arced through the water, shaking off the spray, intimidatingly majestic. They were _massive_.  
  
The speedboat made a complete lap around the islands, before zooming back off towards the mainland. Piper sank back in her seat, both awed by what she’d just experienced, and disappointed that it was almost over.   
  
Jason bumped his shoulder against hers. “Cheer up. We’re going to see tons of wildlife before we leave South America. Don’t worry, Pipes. Our adventures are only just beginning.”

* * *

Back on dry land, they met up with Nico, Leo, and Reyna, who had been exploring the town. Jason fought back a blush when Nico’s gaze immediately drifted to Piper, who was walking as close to Jason as she could without actually hindering him. Jason wasn’t exactly sure what that was all about, but he wasn’t complaining.  
  
“All right!” Frank clapped his hands together enthusiastically. “Next stop, Huacachina! It’s less than an hour and a half away, and if all goes well, we’ll get there in time for some dune buggying or some sandboarding!”  
  
“The nightlife is surprisingly hopping, considering it’s such a small village,” Reyna took over for her co-guide. “There are plenty of bars to check out, and if you just want a quiet place to sit and relax, there’s a bar in the hotel we’ll be staying at, along with a pool and a beautiful view of the oasis.”  
  
Everyone nodded, clearly sold on Huacachina. After a quick lunch, with plenty of water, they hopped back on the bus and settled in for the short ride.  
  
As Jason glanced at Piper, his stomach curdled with shame. He had acted like such an asshole to her earlier, and she hadn’t deserved it. It wasn’t like he had any sort of claim over her. They were friends, nothing more, nothing less. And even though he’d felt jealous and angry, he should never have shown it towards her. Not if he wasn’t going to speak up about his feelings. Not if he wasn’t going to tell her he thought they should have gotten together a long time ago.  
  
Not for the first time, he envisioned what he would say to her. He’d been mentally writing his speech professing his love for her since he was 16. Back then he’d imagined that they’d fall back onto his bed and lose their virginity to each other and it would be the most magical experience in the world. And then the following year had happened, and reality had sunk in. Now he just wanted to say, “I’m in love with you,” and hear her say back, “I’m in love with you, too.” But it would never happen. He knew that. He had long since accepted that. But being on this trip, on this journey around the world, gave him the feeling that anything was possible…even him and Piper.  
  
And he wasn’t sure if he liked that or not.  
  
The ride to Huacachina felt smooth and quick, and before long the group was disembarking from the bus in the middle of a tiny village set out deep in the desert. In the distance, Jason could see the Andes Mountains rising, stark purple against the brilliant blue sky and the deep tan of the desert.  
  
The village circled the oasis Reyna had mentioned, giving the little town a strange feeling of paradise amongst the hot, dry desert.  
  
They checked into their hotel and dropped their luggage off, before making their way to the designated meeting spot for those who wanted to try the dune buggies or sandboarding. Paradise Journey had arranged the excursion with what appeared to be a reputable company, one which specialized in both activities. Percy was talking excitedly about sandboarding, while Jason found himself looking forward to going over the sand dunes in the jeep-like vehicle.  
  
“You can do both!” their driver, a tall Peruvian man who introduced himself as Carlos, assured the group in perfect English. “It’s all right, we’ll let you.” He winked jokingly at them.  
  
“Awesome.” Piper flipped her braid over her shoulder. “Because I want to do both. What about you, Jace? What do you want to do?”  
  
Jason swallowed hard. He was perfectly fine just going for a ride in the dune buggy. But he could almost hear Piper exclaiming, “Just live a little, Jason!” Besides, he had come this far. He might as well go all the way.  
  
“Both, of course,” he said smoothly.   
  
Piper beamed.  
  
Jason could hear Annabeth and Percy exchanging comments about what they were going to do – Annabeth would try sandboarding if Percy would ride the dune buggy with her – and Frank and Reyna were in the little shop, putting the excursion on Paradise Journey’s account. Hazel seemed to be in the middle of begging Nico to please try sandboarding with her.   
  
“Why would I even want to do that?” Nico demanded. “Sand in my hair, sand in my clothes, sand everywhere. Do you know how long any of us are going to need to shower to get the sand out of all the little cracks and crevices?” In typical Nico fashion, his arms were crossed and his black hair tumbled into his face. Despite the sun and heat, he was still dressed all in black. He would have fit right in with the early 2000s emo scene.   
  
“The rest of us are doing it,” Hazel protested. “Come on, Nico, it’ll be fun!”  
  
“No, Hazel. I don’t want to.”  
  
Hazel’s face fell, and Nico’s voice softened with his next words. “But you can go. If you want to, you should go.”  
  
Far from looking reassured, Hazel looked even more crestfallen. Jason stared at Nico. Did he really not understand that Hazel wanted him to go with her, that she wanted to experience this with her brother?  
  
“Nico di Angelo.” Will’s voice cut through the tension like a knife slicing through butter. “Does sandboarding really terrify you that much?”  
  
“Oh, shit,” Leo muttered under his breath. “He’s stepped in it now.”  
  
For once, Calypso looked like she agreed wholeheartedly with Leo.  
  
Percy and Jason both moved forward in case they needed to pull Nico off Will. Judging by the murderous look on Nico’s face, it was a distinct possibility.  
  
“_What_,” Nico demanded sharply, “did you just say to me?”  
  
“I asked if sandboarding really scares you that much? I mean, you’re doing a fantastic job of hiding it, but it's obvious it freaks you out for some reason.” Will propped a smirk on his face. “And to think, I was under the impression that _nothing_ could scare the Great, Fearless Nico di Angelo.”  
  
“It was really nice knowing him,” Leo mumbled.  
  
Nico’s hands clenched into fists, and Jason was momentarily taken back to the street outside the dance club. He took a step towards Will, and Jason and Percy automatically moved between the two, hands outstretched as if to keep Nico and Will from throwing down in the middle of Huacachina.  
  
Will sidestepped Jason and Percy. “Well?” he challenged Nico. “It’s fine if you’re scared, there’s nothing wrong with it. But you should probably admit it. After all, the first step in accepting you have a problem is admitting it.”  
  
“I’m not scared!” Nico’s voice echoed up and down the nearly deserted street. “And I’ll prove it! I’ll go sandboarding! And I’ll be a damn sight better than you at it, Solace!”  
  
Will smiled amicably. “That’s what I like to hear.”  
  
The buggy driver looked a little confused by this exchange, and as they began clambering into the vehicle, he looked even more hesitant. He probably didn’t want to let any of the guys in, for fear that an all-out brawl would start in the middle of the desert, and he’d have to strap them to the seats just to get them back to town.  
  
Jason offered the driver a reassuring smile.  
  
“Please, no fights,” the driver begged him and Percy.  
  
“We’ll see what we can do,” Percy told him.   
  
They drove out into the dessert. Once they were deep within the dunes, the group clambered out with their sandboards. Jason fought back the urge to gulp. He forcefully reminded himself that the worst thing that could happen would be sand in the eyes, but that wasn’t the most reassuring thought in the world. He really didn’t want to blink sand out of his stinging, reddening eyes. But then Carlos offered each of the group a pair of protective glasses, and Jason knew his excuses for not doing this had run out. He knew his friends thought he had a stick up his ass. After all, he was the one who had been so hesitant about going on this trip. He was the one Piper had needed to convince. He was the one who had left the club early the night before. But he was cautious. Careful. He liked to go slowly, at his own pace. He’d always been that way, the complete opposite of Piper. And that was okay. For the most part, he liked himself. But sometimes, especially when he was still hot with jealousy when it came to Piper and her hookups, he wished he could change who he was. He wished he could be reckless and self-assured and throw caution to the wind. But he could never be like that. Not really. Everything had to make sense in his world, everything had to be in order. That was just the way he was. And that wasn’t about to change.  
  
The sun arced across the sky, reminding the group that it was after four in the afternoon now. Jason remembered that Peru rested below the equator, and that it was technically spring time right now. He found it difficult to believe that any season other than dry, bristling summer could exist out in this desert land. He couldn’t see any sign of life besides the tour group and Carlos. He had grown up in California, where seasons only existed on the calendar, but even down south there had always been some sort of dense, sturdy vegetation. But there was nothing but sandy hills, stretching for miles and miles in either direction.  
  
“This is a lot like surfing,” Carlos announced to the group. “And similar to skateboarding, except for the obvious – it’s all sand and no wheels.”  
  
Piper nudged Jason with her elbow. “You’re good at surfing. You’re going to be awesome at this.”  
  
Jason felt a smidgen of reassurance. She was right. If he could surf, he could sure as hell do this. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about drowning.  
  
He watched as Percy hopped on his sandboard and coasted down the hill like he was born to it. Typical Percy. He had a knack for making anything look cool. Jason remembered when Percy had been forced to take a part time job at a cheesy, corny fast food place. He’d worn a polyester uniform and a hat shaped like a rooster head. And yet, half the college girls who wandered in ended up flirting with him. If Jason had worn that outfit complete with the hat and tried to flirt with those girls, he probably would have had the cops called on him.  
  
Annabeth swished her way down after Percy, and Jason mentally shrugged to himself. He couldn’t be Percy Jackson even if he wanted to. He just wanted to feel like he was enough for everyone. And maybe he wasn’t exactly what Piper wanted romantically or sexually, but he was still her best friend. And she sure as hell deserved a best friend who would go sandboarding with her.  
  
And so, he slung his sandboard down at his feet, hopped on, braced himself, and road the sandy hill for all it was worth.


	8. Tea and Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper's in denial, but she's not the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, a new chapter! I loved the comments and kudos so many people left on the last chapter, it was absolutely incredible! Like most people I'm in quarantine right now, and I'm trying to use the time to do some writing so I don't lose my mind. This chapter doesn't have a lot going on in way of traveling, but there's a lot happening with the characters. I hope you guys enjoy it :) Stay healthy, people!

_September 4th, Huacachina_  
  
Annabeth thoroughly enjoyed sandboarding, way more than she’d expected. She’d thought for sure she’d end up with sand flying in her face, but the glasses they’d been provided with really helped. It wasn’t easy by far, staying upright on her board. She’d done some surfing and it hadn’t been her favorite thing in the world by any means. But she had to admit, flying down the sandy slope, right behind Percy as her hair whipped behind her and her breath caught in her chest, had been a huge rush.  
  
She skidded to a stop, sending a wave of sand flying through the air. Percy grabbed her as she stumbled off her board, trying to regain her balance. She smiled up at him as her hands spread against his chest. “Thanks for catching me.”  
  
He smiled back, one arm still looped around her waist. “Anytime, Annabeth.”  
  
She straightened up and pulled her hair out of the ponytail that was coming loose after such a long day with so much wind. Percy watched her, almost leisurely, as she ran her fingers through her hair. For a split second, she was struck with the mental image of her standing in front of him in her apartment bedroom, clothes dropping to the floor as she shook her hair out seductively. The way Percy was looking at her right now seemed to echo that, with his teeth sinking into his bottom lip and his gaze darker and deeper than usual. His green eyes were piercing through her now, and her body flashed hot, just for a moment.  
  
Jason boarded to a stop right beside her, and Percy quickly took a step back. Jason quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything about Percy’s arm around Annabeth. She felt immensely thankful that it was Jason, and not Piper, who had caught them. At least Jason had some semblance of subtlety and understood that not everything had to be broadcasted at full volume.  
  
Despite the fact that Jason hadn’t asked for details, Annabeth’s mouth began running at full speed. Her tongue seemed to be in the mood for a 5K race as she spouted, “I came to a stop and I almost fell and Percy caught me so that I didn’t faceplant in the sand and wow, I’m thirsty!” Hello, run-on sentences. She quickly ducked away from the guys and over to the dune buggy, where bottles of water had been stashed in the bag. She twisted the cap off one and guzzled it; her mouth felt parched from the hot, dry air.  
  
She was halfway through the bottle when Piper jumped up onto the edge of the buggy. “Wasn’t that freaking amazing?”  
  
Annabeth lowered the plastic bottle and swallowed her mouthful of water. “It really was,” she agreed.  
  
Piper grabbed a bottle of water for herself and chugged it. Hazel and Calypso joined them, and Annabeth passed them water bottles.  
  
“Thanks,” Hazel said with a grateful smile. “That was hot and dusty work, but super fun!”  
  
Calypso took a swig of water. Her cinnamon-brown hair had been pulled back in a low braid, and her makeup was badly smudged. But even though Annabeth hadn’t seen her look anything but perfect until now, she was smiling too. “I was surprised, boarding really isn’t my thing.”  
  
“So what made you decide to do it?” Piper asked her curiously.  
  
“Well, I figured if Leo could do it, it couldn’t be that hard.” The answer was spoken loudly, no doubt for the benefit of the boys who were standing a few yards away as they shook sand out of their shirts.  
  
Annabeth felt her lips twitch. She had never met two people who seemed to dislike each other more than Calypso and Leo, or who seemed to be more outspoken about their mutual dislike for the other. It almost made her wonder if this was a case of, “the lady doth protest too much”.  
  
“Seriously, though,” Calypso continued on, “I just figured it’d be something to try. If nothing else, I could say I did it. You need new experiences to get through life, right?”  
  
Annabeth smiled for real. “That is a fantastic way to look at it.” She noticed that Piper and Hazel were drifting away, teasing the boys for still trying to shake the sand out of their shirts. She and Calypso stayed where they were. “You know, if it wasn’t for Piper’s suggestion that we take this trip, I don’t think I would have ever tried this.”  
  
“You mean the trip?”  
  
“Yeah. I was gearing up for another year at school, double majoring in architecture and business. Classes would be starting next week. And I’d be dreading it.”  
  
“I know what you mean,” Calypso nodded. “I’m 21, and I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. I spent the last year at school – my junior year – just trying to survive, and came out with absolutely nothing to show for my time. So I decided taking a few months off might do me some good. My dad wasn’t too pleased, but he disapproves of pretty much everything I do.”  
  
“Tell me about it.” Annabeth propped herself up on the back ledge of the dune buggy, and Calypso joined her. “My mom thinks everything I do is wrong, or I’m just doing it for attention.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s my dad. He hates everything I do, from the guys I date to the movies I see. Nothing’s good enough.” Calypso sighed as she tucked a couple of loose strands of hair behind her ear.  
  
Annabeth’s heart twanged with sympathy. She knew what it was like to feel like you could never live up to a parent’s expectations. Upon first meeting Calypso, she had seemed nice but fussy, not someone who Annabeth could relate to. Yet there they were, in the middle of the Peruvian desert, hanging out in the back of a dune buggy as they complained about their parental issues.  
  
“What does your dad do?” Annabeth asked Calypso.  
  
“Oh, he’s the owner and CEO of this GPS app. You’ve heard of the Atlas Global app? Yeah, he’s the one behind that.”  
  
“Does he want you to take over for him?” asked Annabeth, thinking about Jason and his dad.  
  
Calypso winkled her nose. “Hell no. He doesn’t think I’m going to amount to much at all.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“I made some mistakes when I was a teenager. I went through a rebellious phase and dated the wrong guy, and…” Calypso shook her head. “My dad has never forgiven me. My mom has. My sisters have. But not my dad.”  
  
“If it makes you feel any better, my mom thinks I’m a disgrace to the family because I decided to go to a small, private college on the west coast instead of Yale, where she teaches.”  
  
“Holy shit, your mom teaches at fucking _Yale_?”  
  
Annabeth smirked. “She sure does. And my dad’s teaching at Stanford right now. Either of those schools would have been fine. But I didn’t want to feel so overwhelmed and stressed by everything that I couldn’t think straight, so I chose a different school, one that’s still really well rated, but isn’t considered a super stressful college. But whaddaya know, I still ended up super overwhelmed and stressed, so that didn’t work out so well for me, did it?”  
  
“But you’re here, so maybe some good has come out of it,” Calypso suggested. “By the way, are you and Percy dating?”  
  
The question was put so point-blank that Annabeth had to blink a couple of times before she could really register the question.  
  
“Are Percy and I – are we – ?”  
  
“Dating?” Calypso prompted. “I saw him catch you when you almost fell, and neither of you seemed to mind too much.”  
  
“Oh. No.” Annabeth’s face suddenly felt like it was on fire. “No, we’re just…I mean – “ She cleared her throat, and took another sip of water. “He’s Jason’s roommate. I mean, Jason is Piper’s other best friend, and Percy and I just met a few weeks ago.”  
  
“Really. You could have fooled me.” Calypso paused. “So Jason and Piper aren’t dating, either?”  
  
“Nope.” Annabeth popped the P. “They’re just best friends.”  
  
“Oh my God.” Calypso shook her head. “Wow, okay. I guess I can understand Jason and Piper not dating, though with the way they look at each other they should probably just make the damn leap. But why aren’t you making a pass at Percy? He’s effing hot, Annabeth.”  
  
Annabeth found her gaze wandering back to Percy. He and Leo were laughing maniacally as they kicked sand at each other. She smirked. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Percy?”  
  
Calypso cracked up. “Well, maybe not at the moment. But yeah, when he’s not acting like an idiot with the resident moron, then yeah, he’s hot.”  
  
Annabeth inclined her head in surrender. “Fair enough. I guess I’m just getting to know him. I like to try to take things slow.”  
  
“Kudos to you for that.” Calypso hopped down. “Come on, let’s go break up the sand fight so that we can get on with the dune buggy ride.”  
  
Annabeth joined her, and they padded through the sand towards Percy and Leo.  
  
“Hey, jackass!” Calypso stepped right between the boys and faced Leo, her hands on her hips. “Stop acting like a second grader so we can continue on with this.” She grabbed Leo and forcefully dragged him away from Percy, who looked a little stunned by what had just happened. Leo shot a look back towards Annabeth and Percy like, _please don’t let her kill me_.  
  
Annabeth grinned, and Percy shot a little wave at Leo as if to say, _hasta la vista_!  
  
“She’s going to kill him,” Percy announced. “Or he’s going to kill her. One of the two.”  
  
“It’ll make for cheap entertainment,” Annabeth commented. “But I think they might actually end up working things out. I hope they will, anyway, seeing as how they’ve got a few more months together.”  
  
Percy inclined his head in acknowledgment.  
  
The dune buggy ride was amazing, if bumpy and sandy. Annabeth screamed and shrieked until her voice sounded hoarse, and she definitely clung to Percy as they went over a couple hills on more than a few occasions. He didn’t seem to mind it, and she certainly didn’t.  
  
By the time they returned to the hotel, they were covered with sand and, despite the water they’d all gulped, very thirsty and hungry. Annabeth sipped from a bottle of water, trying not to down it all in one because she wasn’t in the mood for a stomachache.  
  
Piper was seated next to her, with the boys behind them. Maybe it was Annabeth’s imagination, but there seemed to be some sort of weird tension between Piper and Jason. Piper kept sneaking glances at Jason, and while Jason looked relaxed, his shoulders seemed to tense up every time he leaned forward to speak with Piper.

The dune buggy pulled back into Huacachina and circled around to the back of the store. They hopped out, thanking the driver, and Frank and Reyna led the way back to the hotel.

Frank pointed out a little restaurant that looked as though it had been assembled in a rush the day before. “I hope you’re all hungry, because we’ll be eating dinner there.”

“You’ll find some of the best food and drinks there,” Reyna added. “Here in Huacachina, anyway.”

Annabeth shrugged. She was hungry enough to eat an antelope.

“There are gluten free options?” Percy confirmed, and Annabeth looked at him in surprise. His concern reminded her of Piper’s care to keep their food separate so Annabeth wouldn’t get cross contaminated.

“Yes, and vegetarian options.”

Piper looked satisfied at that. Sometimes she had trouble finding decent food when they went out to eat. The year before they had joined a group of friends at a steak house after being assured they had vegetarian options. Piper hadn’t been able to order a regular entree. Instead, she had had to fill her plate up at the rather lacking salad bar, which even Annabeth had found pathetic. They’d ended up going out for pho afterwards, and had never hung out with those people again.

They stepped into the hotel, and room keys were passed out. Annabeth grabbed hers and Piper’s key, and they headed up to their room.

Compared to their hotel room in Lima, this was absolute squalor. There were two twin beds, a tiny closet, and a small TV that looked as if it was about thirty years old. Annabeth ventured into the bathroom. It was about the size of the closet. But a quick check told her the shower worked, and everything seemed fairly clean. After spending the better part of the day on the bus, it felt like paradise.

She and Piper both grabbed showers and changed into jeans and t-shirts, with hoodies slung over them.

At 7pm, they made their way back to the lobby where they met the others.

The restaurant turned out to be desert quaint, with a wraparound porch. They were seated at a long table on the porch. The food was similar to what they had eaten in Lima, but Annabeth detected a hint of different spices.

They bought drinks. Annabeth sipped on a gluten free beer. It went surprisingly well with her chicken, veggies, and rice. She felt thoroughly sated and content, with Percy seated on one side of her, and Piper on the other. She stretched out, yawning. Despite her low key night the evening before, the early morning and traveling seemed to be catching up with her. She found herself looking forward to returning to the little hotel room, and to the twin bed. She had sat on it momentarily while she’d brushed out her damp hair after her shower. The bed had been surprisingly soft.

A cup of tea and maybe a book on her kindle before bed…

Reyna cleared her throat. “So you guys know, in case it wasn’t clear in the itinerary, not every country is going to be a heavily guided tour. In some countries, particularly in Europe, you’ll have more free time to do what you want to do. We’ll supply each of you with rail passes so you can easily get around the different countries. The reason for this is because the cities in the smaller countries are the main tourist destinations, but there are little corners that are worth exploring as well. But everyone has different taste, and we hope by that time you’ll feel comfortable going on day trips yourselves. We’ll have a few days like that in Belize and Costa Rica as well.” She fell silent, dark gaze piercing the tour group. No one seemed surprised by this announcement. Annabeth remembered reading something about that in the itinerary.

“Remember, we’re leaving at 6am for Nazca,” Frank told them. “The hotel offers coffee and fruit for breakfast, and we’ll stop somewhere once we get into Nazca.”

With that announcement, the group finished up their food and drinks, and clambered to their feet. After the long day, no one seemed to have the energy to talk much. A few words were exchanged here and there, mostly between Frank and Reyna, and Piper and Jason. Annabeth felt the smallest twinge of jealousy. She envied their easy chat. She wasn’t sure if it was the comfortable intimacy, or the long history she was jealous of.

Percy yawned widely. “I’m definitely about ready for bed,” he admitted. “It’s been a long day.”

“That it has,” Annabeth agreed. “But it was fun.”

“Yeah, it was.”

Once they reached the lobby, they split up in their different directions. Annabeth and Piper let themselves into their room. Piper turned to Annabeth. “I have so much I need to talk to you about.”  
  
“Jason?” Annabeth asked, and Piper nodded as she reached for the oversized t-shirt she liked wearing to bed.  
  
“Our friendship is turning weird.”  
  
“How so?” Annabeth bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning. She had a feeling she knew exactly how Piper meant.  
  
Piper stripped out of her clothes and slipped into her nightshirt. “Just…it’s weird.”  
  
“Thanks, that clears that up.”  
  
Piper gave a helpless little shrug and plopped dramatically onto her back on her bed. “Just…he’s acting jealous and I’m…Reyna was kind of flirting with him last night. And I felt…something that strongly resembled jealousy.”  
  
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. “You are way more honest with yourself than that shit you just spewed.”  
  
“Fine. I was jealous. I got jealous. And yesterday when we were on the beach, there was a moment where I thought we were about to kiss. We didn’t, but we could have. And since then, my mind’s been fucking with me so hard.”  
  
Annabeth nodded. “You’re falling for him.”  
  
“What? No, of course not. I can’t be. He’s my best friend.”  
  
“But he’s also handsome, kind, sweet, smart, funny in a dry way…” Annabeth ticked each item off on her fingers as she went. “All things you’ve said over the last couple years.”  
  
Piper blanched.  
  
“You also said he smelled good.”  
  
“What? When?”  
  
“Remember that time we got that wine on sale at the grocery store and we drank the whole bottle in a night? Or rather, you drank most of the bottle, and I had a glass and a half? Because you were bored and lonely because Jason was out _on a date_?”  
  
Piper clamped her hands over her ears. “I don’t like the turn this conversation is taking!” she wailed.  
  
“You’re the one who brought it up.”  
  
“I _can’t_ like him,” Piper said, letting her hands drop back to her sides. “I just can’t.”  
  
“Because you don’t want to ruin the friendship?”  
  
“Exactly. I’ve only seriously dated one guy, and it was an abysmal failure. He dumped me with no warning.”  
  
“I’ve only seriously dated one guy too,” Annabeth pointed out, “and that was an abysmal failure as well. But that doesn’t mean your next relationship will be like that. Would it really be so wrong for you and Jason to explore the boundaries of your relationship, and maybe push them back? Maybe cross a line or two?”  
  
“I’d break him,” Piper whispered. “I’d ruin him.”  
  
Annabeth snorted. “Yeah, okay, I know we all want to think we’re great in bed – “  
  
“No, I mean, if we dated, I’d completely ruin him. He’d run away screaming.” She sounded as if she was about to start crying. “I can’t lose him, Annabeth. He’s my oldest friend. He has been the only constant in my life since I was ten. I can’t lose him.”  
  
Annabeth sighed. “All right. But just…keep what I said in mind, okay? You never know. I might be right.”  
  
Piper grunted to let her know she’d heard, before scrunching up to her pillow and wiggling under her covers. Annabeth shook her head as Piper pulled the blanket up over her head, signaling that she didn’t want to talk any longer.  
  
“Professor Chase does it again,” Annabeth muttered. “This is why I’m not majoring in psychology.”  
  
She slipped into her own pajamas, pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, before beginning her nightly routine for bed. By the time she was ready to crawl into bed, she suspected that Piper really was asleep, and not just faking it. Goodness knew Annabeth couldn’t keep from yawning any longer, and her eyelids felt super heavy.But before she could climb into bed, her phone lit up with a text.  
  
She checked it and saw it was from Percy: **There’s a really nice terrace at the back of the hotel. Great for a cup of tea if you’re into that sort of thing ****;-)  
  
**And just like that, she felt wide awake, like she’d had a jolt of espresso.** As a matter of fact, I am. I’ll be right out.  
**  
Annabeth didn’t even bother throwing regular clothes back on. She just pulled on a sweatshirt, stuffed her feet into her flipflops, and grabbed her room key. She let herself out, and made her way out to the lobby, where she helped herself to the coffee and tea bar.  
  
Cup in hand, she headed towards the back of the hotel, where she came across a set of doors. She let herself out and stepped onto the terrace. Percy was sitting at a little white table.  
  
“You don’t strike me as much of a tea drinker,” she commented, nodding towards the cup in his hand.  
  
He offered her a grin as she sat down. “I’m not usually, but even though I’m tired – like, _really_ tired – I still feel super wired.”  
  
Annabeth nodded. “There’s a lot going on. It’s kind of hard to just sit back and take it all in.”  
  
“Yeah, exactly.”  
  
“Jason didn’t want to join you out here?”  
  
“He’s already asleep.”  
  
“Yeah, so’s Piper. I think they have the right idea to be honest, but I have a hard time saying no to a cup of tea.”  
  
Percy chuckled. “Sorry for tempting you.”  
  
“No, it’s fine. You can tempt me any time.”  
  
The words escaped her mouth before she could even think about stopping them.  
  
Percy grinned a little wryly. “Any time, huh? Sounds like you’re the one tempting me.”  
  
Annabeth bit her lip. She wanted to, oh so badly. But she replayed her conversation with Piper as she looked at Percy. Was she really one to dole out advice on making a move when she wasn’t sure she wanted to even get close to Percy?  
  
Just to change the subject, she asked, “How’d you find this place? The terrace, I mean.”  
  
“Oh, the hotel clerk told me.”  
  
“Really? I don’t think he shared that information with anyone else.” Annabeth took a sip of her tea.  
  
“I specifically asked about other exits.”  
  
“Why? Planning on making a fast getaway?”  
  
“Kind of, yeah.”  
  
Annabeth looked at him sharply. “What?”  
  
Percy chuckled. “Not like that. I’m not, like, a bank robber or anything. I’m just…” He paused. “My stepdad was an asshole. My ex stepdad, I mean. When you grow up in situations like that, where your paycheck from your newspaper route is used to fund your stepdad’s gambling and beer habit, you’re always on high alert, always looking for a second way out. Just in case.”  
  
“Just in case.” The words echoed from Annabeth’s lips, hollow and meaningless. Because she had suddenly had a flash of what Percy’s childhood must have actually been like, and she knew she could never truly understand. She and her mom might not get along, and her mom might even be toxic, but at least Annabeth’s contact with her was limited. At least she wasn’t living in a New York City apartment with her and forking over a paycheck to pay for an addiction.  
  
“He was an asshole,” Percy repeated, the words well-worn and thoroughly used, as if he’d gotten in the habit of describing his former stepdad in that manner. And somehow, the words didn’t even come close to describing the truth.  
  
Annabeth’s grip tightened on her cup. She wanted to ask him more questions about his childhood, about the scars he must hold in the shape of memories, but she couldn’t quite form the words. How did you ask the guy you liked if his stepdad had ever hit him?  
  
“How long was he in your life?” she finally asked.  
  
“Too long.” Percy’s fists clenched on the table, so hard she half expected to see his nails cutting through the skin on his palms. “My mom married him when I was two. She finally left him when I was 15.”  
  
Thirteen years. Thirteen long years of hell.  
  
“That’s most of your life,” Annabeth said softly, gingerly, scared he might clam up if she prodded too much.  
  
“Yeah, tell me about it.” He took a long drag from his cup, a brooding look settling over his face. In the dim light from the hotel, his green eyes had taken on a dark, haunted glint. “Have you ever had a zit you couldn’t get rid of? Like, no matter what you did, it just wouldn’t fucking go away? The kind of zit that gets super gross and it hurts because it’s so deep? He was like that. We couldn’t get rid of no matter what we did.”  
  
“But you finally did.”  
  
“Yeah. But it took thirteen years.” Percy downed the last dregs of his tea. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I’m being depressing. I shouldn’t have ever brought him up.”  
  
“No, it’s okay.” Taking a chance, she reached across the table and placed her hand on the one that wasn’t gripping his empty cup. “You should talk about this.”  
  
“Yeah, but maybe not right now.” He offered her a smile, but it looked tight. The haunted light in his green eyes hadn’t quite faded. “Besides, there are people out there with way worse problems. For instance, there are the other prisoners who have to share a cell with him.”  
  
His stepdad had gone to prison? Annabeth’s mouth suddenly felt very dry, and she hurriedly gulped the last of her tea. What exactly had his stepdad done? What had he done to Percy and Mrs. Jackson?  
  
“Why’d you choose a school on the west coast?” Annabeth asked. “Because of your swim scholarship?”  
  
“Mainly, yeah. AGC was offering me a full ride with my swim scholarship. I competed in high school and I was even team captain my senior year.”  
  
“That’s fantastic!”  
  
“Yeah, it was. I love the water, it’s where I’m most at home. My mom used to take me to a beach in New York during weekends away from him. And she enrolled me in swim classes when I was really young. Fuck, she used to have to beg me to come out of the pool. I never wanted to leave.”  
  
_Yeah, probably because you had an abusive stepdad_, Annabeth thought furiously. The more she listened to him, the more she realized just how much his stepdad had shaped his life. Swimming had become an escape from him. No child should ever need an escape from the real world. Never.  
  
“Why’d you choose AGC?” Percy asked her.  
  
“It’s a small, private college, and a good one. They’ve got a really good academic program, but it’s not as competitive as the schools my parents wanted me to go to.”  
  
“Stanford and Yale.”  
  
“Right. Their architecture program is one of the best in the country. It’s like number five in the top ten architecture programs. And their business programs are really good, too. So I figured that covered all my bases.”  
  
Percy’s lips twitched. “Like checking stuff off your grocery list?”  
  
Annabeth considered that. “Yeah, I guess you could put it that way.”  
  
“Were you actually going to college because you wanted to, or because you felt you had to?”  
  
“I wanted to. I still do. But I also…I wanted to please my parents, make them happy. I’m beginning to realize I’ll never actually be able to make my mom happy, no matter what I do. But my dad’s proud of me. And I guess that’s what matters now.”  
  
Percy nodded. “I get that. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of things my dad wanted me to do. Like fish. I hate fishing. Or take advanced calc. I’m ADHD, dyslexic, and I really struggled with math at that time. But my dad was so certain that I just had to dig down deep and I’d be able to understand calc. No. That’s not really how that works. I spent most of my life thinking I was stupid, but I’m not. I _can_ do math. And I can understand science now. But it wasn’t until my sophomore year that I started getting Bs instead of Ds and Fs. My mom enrolled me in tutoring, and that helped a lot. I was so terrified my first tutoring session. I thought for sure they’d send me away laughing, telling me that the problem wasn’t my learning disorders or my crappy home life or my anxiety and stress levels. I was so fucking scared that my problem was just simply that I really was stupid. And I sat down, trembling so hard I’m pretty sure my chair was vibrating, and the tutor started asking me questions, just simple things. Things about my learning comprehension and if my ADHD medication made it easier for me to focus or made it harder. Just a bunch of little things. That was at Goode High,” he added as an afterthought. “I’d gotten kicked out of another school before that one. But Goode had a really great reputation among students with learning disabilities. I think my mom was just hoping I’d graduate or at least get my GED. I graduated with a 3.6 GPA. She cried when I walked across the stage at graduation. I could hear her sobbing all the way up on the stage.”  
  
“Did your meds make it easier or harder for you to focus?” Annabeth asked curiously.  
  
“Harder, because I’d get really drowsy. My mom only got me on them after we got rid of Gabe, but that didn’t help too much either. The doctors kept saying I just had to get used to them, but I hated them. It was like I was constantly taking Benadryl. I just wanted to sleep all the time, but I’d also be really paranoid and twitchy. It was awful. My mom took me off them, and the school counselor suggested I try to focus my energy more on positive things. Which is not a fix-all method, by the way. It’s not like I just threw myself into swimming and everything was all better. I still have trouble to this day. But I’m way better than I was. And I’m not on medication, thank goodness.”  
  
Annabeth nodded. She could definitely relate. “I’ve got both dyslexia and ADHD, too. But I’ve always loved learning and school. My dad and stepmom used to work with me every night on reading and math when I was in elementary school. My stepmom and I hadn’t really gotten along before that. But when she saw how much I wanted to learn, she made it her mission to help me. And there was a study group after school for the kids with learning disorders. The teachers turned learning into games, and it was really fun. I learned to be really organized, and to go slowly and take my time.”  
  
“How’d you decide you wanted to be an architect?” Percy asked curiously. His hand was still under hers. Neither of them had made any move to pull their hand away.  
  
“When I was eight, we went on a family vacation to the west coast – the Pacific Northwest. Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. We were still living in Virginia at that point, so going on vacation on the opposite coast was a big deal. I didn’t know it at the time, but my dad and stepmom were already thinking about moving out west. My dad had had a handful of offers from colleges on the west coast, from Stanford, Reed, University of Washington, and I think a couple others. So he was actually meeting with the faculty presidents and talking with them, trying to see who would offer him the best deal. We flew into San Francisco. And I fell in love. I’d seen pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, but in real life it looked like a dream. It was _beautiful_. It sounds so corny, but I loved it. Portland was gorgeous, and I loved walking around Reed College. Just a gorgeous college. It’s all built in the Tudor-Gothic style. It was exactly what I thought a college should look like.” She laughed. “And then we got to Seattle. My stepmom and I went on a little tour around the city while my dad met with the people at the University of Washington. And I saw the Space Needle. I begged her to take me up in it, and after a little while, she agreed. And I remember just standing there on the observation deck, staring out at the city, thinking about San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, about Reed College, and about Seattle and what I was seeing. And that whole area – it’s kind of fun and kind of funky at the same time. There’s the EMP and science fiction museum, which is an art statement all in itself. And there were so many other buildings that I had seen and just loved. And I turned to her and said, ‘I want to do that. I want to build cities.’”  
  
“What’d she say?” Percy asked at once.  
  
“That I’d have to study really hard and be really good at drawing and math, but she was sure I could do it. The thing was, I don’t think she was surprised. I was already designing things. Mostly castles at that point, to be honest, but still. We decided to meet my dad for lunch on the Ave – it’s the main street through the University District in Seattle. She took me to the university bookstore before we met up with my dad, and bought me a sketch pad, some pencils, and a couple of books on architecture. I got to work the second we sat down at the table. I started sketching the Space Needle. Only I improved it – or at least, I felt like I did. And then I did the same with the Golden Gate Bridge. And then I drew my idea of a perfect college, based on Reed. After lunch, my dad took us on a tour around the university, and that was a gorgeous campus as well. Very Gothic buildings, and a sprawling campus. We went in the early spring, and there were cherry blossom trees in bloom.”  
  
“I take it you don’t like the south American style of architecture?” Percy teased, referring to Stanford’s campus.  
  
“Oh!” She laughed again. “No, I liked it. I just didn’t feel it was very collegiate. Remember, I’m from the east coast, too, and my mom’s taught at Yale for as long as I could remember.”  
  
“But you didn’t like Yale’s campus?”  
  
“It was fine. It just…it felt too much like my mom’s job. Just like the college my dad was teaching at in Virginia. The College of William and Mary.”  
  
“I’m starting to see why you chose Arlind Gates College,” Percy said with a nod. “Even though it’s in southern California, it’s got the gothic architecture you seem to like.”  
  
“Yes, well, you know it was built to replicate the style of the east coast universities, right? The hope was that Arlind Gates would be as prestigious as the Ivy League schools. But no such luck.”  
  
“But it _is_ a good school.”  
  
“One of the best on the west coast,” Annabeth nodded.  
  
“Why didn’t you go to Reed? I mean, not that I’m complaining. If you’d gone to Reed, you probably wouldn’t be here with me right now.”  
  
She smiled a little. “Out-of-state tuition. Tuition is over 50,000 dollars. My dad and stepmom couldn’t afford that. I mean, they were living on my dad’s salary as a professor and researcher, while my stepmom works as a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicles. That just wasn’t going to happen. My dad was really hoping I’d go to Stanford because I’d get a discount since he works there, but…” She shrugged. “I didn’t want to. High school was incredibly stressful, and I remember my dad was always talking about his students having mental breakdowns and having to take a semester or two off. I didn’t want that. But here I am, taking a semester off.”  
  
“But it’s for a worthwhile reason. It’s so you can see the world.”  
  
Her smile widened. “What other colleges were you considering?”  
  
He shrugged. “Any college that wasn’t overly expensive, and would offer me a scholarship. I applied to a lot of smaller New York schools, but a lot of west coast schools, too. But AGC was the only one that offered me a full ride. And it was across the country. It felt like a whole different world, like a way to escape my past. My mom had married my current stepdad by that point, and he’s a really good guy. I knew she’d be okay. We’d moved out of the apartment we’d lived in with my ex stepdad, into a bigger, nicer one. My mom had sold all our old furniture. Everything was scrubbed clean. But I couldn’t forget. And I wanted to, so fucking bad.”  
  
Annabeth nodded. “AGC was an escape.”  
  
“Yeah. Only…” He shrugged helplessly. “I still couldn’t forget.”  
  
“Is that why you agreed to go on the trip?”  
  
“Sort of. I wanted new memories, fresh ones that would erase the old ones. Traveling the world seemed like a good place to start.”  
  
“I understand.” Her mind shifted back to Luke, to his mocking laughter and his condescending comments. “I understand needing an escape.”  
  
“I hear your ex-boyfriend is an asshole,” Percy said, almost conversationally.  
  
Annabeth gazed out at the pitch blackness. There was silence, except for the light rustling of wind. She wasn’t even sure she was breathing, but her heart was suddenly pounding like a hammer against her ribcage, jumping up until it was nearly in her throat.  
  
“It’s getting late, and we need to get up early,” she finally managed to get out. “We should head to bed.”  
  
It was ironic, she thought as she got up, blindly pulling her hand out from under Percy’s. She’d been worried that he’d clam up, but she was the one pushing him away.  
  
_I can’t talk about Luke with him_, she thought fiercely. _I won’t. He doesn’t need to know_.  
  
Because out there, in the Peruvian desert, nothing could get her. Not her mom’s constant disapproval, not the autoimmune disease that could have put her at risk for other, life-threatening diseases, and not the ex-boyfriend who remained her biggest regret. Not the boy who had used her all up until there was nothing left.  
  
_Fuck Luke_, she told herself as she nearly ran back through the hall of the hotel, not sure if Percy had even moved from his spot on the terrace, but suddenly terrified that she was being watched, being followed, that the tall, handsome blond man who she had given everything to knew exactly where she was. _He’s nothing to you now_.  
  
And maybe he wasn’t. But her shame and humiliation over everything he’d put her through still rang in her ears, reminding her that she wasn’t nearly as smart as she liked to pretend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will deal more with Jason and Piper, and touch on Annabeth's past relationship with Luke. Also, things are going to start picking up speed in the next few chapters. :)


	9. Flying High In Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's chapter 9 :) I'm going to go ahead and post a trigger warning for stalking, emotional abuse, and depression. 
> 
> Every site/place that the characters visit, I try to research thoroughly so that I can accurately describe it. But since I haven't been there in person, I know details will be missing. There also ended up being way more chapters based in Peru than I intended. There are two more chapters in Peru after this, and then I'm trying to limit the amount of chapters they spend in one country to two, so that this story doesn't go on forever. I also started getting burnt out on writing about Peru, and it's not something I want reflected through these characters! 😂 But I'm still loving this story, and I hope you guys are too 😘
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

_September 5th, Huacachina to Nazca_  
  
When Piper woke up the next morning, she could tell at once that Annabeth had not had a restful night. Her skin was paler than usual, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.  
  
Piper felt a twinge of guilt. She’d acted like such a drama queen and such a baby the night before. Annabeth had been speaking logically, rationally, and Piper hadn’t wanted to hear it. And while she doubted Annabeth had had a rough night because of Piper, she wondered if maybe she could have been there for her friend a little bit better.  
  
“What’s wrong?” she asked Annabeth.  
  
“Nightmares,” Annabeth grunted.  
  
Piper’s stomach twisted. Annabeth wasn’t prone to your average nightmares. Falling from a cliff, facing down a monster, running from wild dogs, none of those could touch her. But she had nightmares about Luke. About him walking back into her life. About her taking him back. Piper suspected that she was the only person in the world who knew the extent of what Luke had put Annabeth through. Verbal and emotional abuse could be very damaging, and Annabeth very clearly had PTSD from her relationship with the dickhead. Annabeth didn’t like to talk about it, but her freshman year of college, she had fallen into a deep depression, complete with horrible anxiety. It hadn’t helped that, at the time, she hadn’t taken celiac disease seriously enough, due to her mother’s and ex’s influence, and so she had spent the first semester of college constantly sick and in a state of inflammation. Anxiety and depression were both signs of glutening in celiacs. After Annabeth had gotten so sick that she couldn’t get out of bed, Piper had ended up seeing a counselor herself to find out how she could help her roommate. She’d been scared to call for medical assistance, not sure what they would do with a depressed and anxious girl who appeared to be trying to poison herself on a regular basis. The counselor had advised Piper to do her research on all three issues, and to try to get Annabeth in to see her as soon as she could. It hadn’t been easy, but Piper had managed to coax Annabeth into drinking some bone broth. And then into drinking a smoothie with a probiotic mix blended in.  
  
From there, Annabeth had visited the counselor with Piper, and had eventually approached the health center for help. By the following semester, she was feeling much better. But Piper hadn’t forgotten the impact that hurtful, harmful words could have on someone.  
  
“Talk to me,” Piper said at once. She didn’t care that it was 5am, and that they were hopping a bus in an hour. She would hold up the whole damn tour if she had to, in order to make sure her best friend was okay.  
  
“It’s blurry.”  
  
“Tell me what you remember.”  
  
Annabeth sighed and rubbed her hands over her eyes. “We were at school – at college. I was hanging out with Percy. I was happy. And then Luke came up. He found me. He’d been asking around. He told Percy – he told him I’d lied about everything. That none of it was true. Surely Percy couldn’t believe that Luke had threatened to follow me to college, to stalk me until I lost my damn mind. To be able to say that he’d always known I was a crazy bitch, with an appetite for attention.”  
  
As Annabeth repeated the words, Piper recalled the very first text she had seen from Luke on Annabeth’s phone. Those words made up the entire content of that message. She knew the texts had begun innocently enough after Annabeth had split up with Luke. First the “I’m sorry” texts. The pleading: “You’re the only one I could ever love, and I know you feel the same way about me.” The begging: “Fine, you don’t want to get back together. Can’t we just meet up? I have a lot going on and I really need to talk to you.” The guilt trip: “I’m depressed and suicidal and I might kill myself if you don’t meet up with me. Just text me.” And finally, the abuse: “You’re a crazy lying bitch, I always knew it, I don’t know why I wasted my time with you, I should have left you first, you’re nothing to me.” “I know what college you go to, your friend told me. I’m going to find you and stalk you and you’ll never be able to escape me. I’m going to make you sorry you ever left me. You think you can just leave me and get away with it? Bitch, you’re nothing without me. You’re a goddamn lying cunt who thinks she’s too good for me. You were a lousy fuck and the whole time I was sleeping with other girls and you never knew. Fucking stupid bitch. I’m going to stalk you until you lose your mind and then everyone will see how crazy you are and I’ll be vindicated.”  
  
The texts had gotten crazier and crazier. Piper had finally convinced Annabeth to just block him on everything – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. She’d asked her why she hadn’t done it before, why she hadn’t filed for a restraining order, and Annabeth had broken down in tears. “It just seemed like it was all my fault. If I hadn’t left him, he wouldn’t be like this. He doesn’t deserve to be in trouble.”  
  
“Annabeth,” Piper had nearly screamed in frustration, “he would be like this no matter what. Narcissistic sociopaths will always find a way to blame someone else for their bad behavior. That’s why they’re narcissistic sociopaths!”  
  
Eventually her words seemed to have pierced Annabeth’s brain, but she had remained shaken for some time. And every now and then she would have what Piper referred to as relapse – she would think about Luke too much, dive into the details of their relationship and the explosive ending, and she’d begin having nightmares and panic attacks – just like right now.  
  
Piper took a deep breath. “He’s not here. He’s back in the States – in California, probably. He can’t get to you here. His words are meaningless. They have no hold over you. You are so much better than him, Annabeth. So much better. He never deserved you.” She paused. “Where did this come from? You seemed fine yesterday…He hasn’t contacted you, has he?”  
  
Annabeth shook her head. “Percy asked me about him.” Her breathing came out more rapidly, but more shallowly at the same time.  
  
Piper furrowed her brow in confusion. “When?”  
  
“Last night. After you went to bed, he texted me to meet him. We were talking. There was a lot of deep stuff we were sharing. He was telling me about his childhood. And then he asked about Luke. And it all just came back. I couldn’t tell Percy about him. And I just – I got the hell out. But I felt…I felt like he was breathing down my neck. Like he had tracked me here. Like I hadn’t escaped.”  
  
Before Piper could respond, there was a knock on the door.  
  
“We’ll be out in a minute!” she called, desperate to shield Annabeth from anyone who might intrude on her need for privacy.  
  
“Pipes, it’s me,” Jason called back. “Hurry up, there’s food – “  
  
Piper crossed the room and stood at the door. “There’s food? Can you run downstairs and get Annabeth something to eat? Fruit? Yogurt, if they have it. Anything.” In her experience, food could help with panic attacks. “And don’t – shake off Percy if you need to. But don’t let him in here.”  
  
“Um…okay…”  
  
“And something to drink. Tea. But nothing with caffeine.”  
  
“_What_?”  
  
“I’ll explain later.”  
  
Once she heard Jason’s footsteps fade away, she turned back to Annabeth. “Just to double check – you weren’t glutened, right? This isn’t from eating gluten by accident, this isn’t a side-effect.”  
  
Annabeth shook her head. Her breathing was beginning to even out a little. Piper sat down on the bed beside her. “May I hug you?” Sometimes during these panic attacks Annabeth couldn’t handle anyone touching her.  
  
She nodded, sniffling slightly.  
  
Piper gingerly shifted an arm around her friend. “I’m sorry you can’t escape the memories.”  
  
Annabeth leaned into her, body shaking as she began to cry for real. Piper cupped her friend’s head, lowering it onto her shoulder.  
  
“It’s okay,” she murmured. “It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re never going to have to see him again. If he ever gets close to you, I’ll kick the shit out of him.”  
  
Annabeth let out a rough laugh.  
  
“What? I can do it. I took martial arts in elementary school.”  
  
Annabeth’s laugh still sounded shaky, but it seemed louder and stronger this time.  
  
There was a tap on the door. “It’s me,” Jason called. “Can I come in?”  
  
Piper pulled back to look at Annabeth. She nodded.  
  
Piper got to her feet and unlocked the door. She stepped back so Jason could come into the room. He carried two bowls laden with fruit and yogurt. “I couldn’t carry the drinks.”  
  
“It’s fine,” Piper told him. “She should be able to drink caffeine again in a little while.”  
  
Jason’s gaze slid past her towards Annabeth, and he slowly nodded in understanding.  
  
“I’m fine,” Annabeth said, braving a smile as she took the bowl from Jason. “Thanks for the food.”  
  
“Of course. Any time. Should I talk to Frank and let him know that – “  
  
“No,” Annabeth said sharply. “I can travel. I’m okay. Just – just an anxiety attack.”  
  
He nodded. “I can bring you some tea if you’d like.”  
  
“Just water, please.”  
  
“Sure.” He left the room, and Piper shut the door. She took the opportunity to pull out comfortable clothes for both her and Annabeth, and began to get dressed. Annabeth managed to do the same. She took a few bites of her food, and Piper followed her lead.   
  
Jason returned with a bottle of water for Annabeth.  
  
“Thanks.” She uncapped the bottle and took a couple of small sips. Her color was beginning to return to normal. “I really am okay. Piper, I know you’re dying for coffee. Go get that.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Positive. I feel a lot better now.”  
  
Piper hesitated. “You shouldn’t be alone right now – “  
  
“Seriously. I could use a few minutes to myself.”  
  
“Well…okay. But I’ll have my phone on me. Text if you need something.” Piper followed Jason out of the room and closed the door behind her.  
  
“Luke?” Jason asked in a hushed voice as they moved down the hall.  
  
“Yeah. Your idiot best friend had the nerve to ask Annabeth about him.”  
  
Deep down Piper knew she was being way too hard on Percy. He had no reason to realize the kind of effect asking Annabeth about Luke could have on her. But Piper didn’t care in that moment. Anger rushed through her veins, mingling with her blood. She could taste it on her tongue, hot and sharp like poison.  
  
“Hey, whoa.” Jason held up his hands. “Percy has no clue about Annabeth’s history with Luke, just that he was a jerk to her. And Percy’s been through his own shit. If anyone’s going to understand what Annabeth’s dealing with, it’ll be Percy. Anyway, I thought Annabeth was doing better?”  
  
“She was. But you know PTSD and anxiety don’t always make sense.”  
  
“This isn’t Percy’s fault,” Jason hissed. “Blame it on the fuckhead who did this to her. Percy cares about her. He’s seriously into her, and he’d like to start something with her. He’s a really good guy. He would never – if you knew what you’d just said, what you’d just implied about him – “ Jason’s neck was turning red, the way it did when he was angry. “Percy has a huge guilt complex. And if you ever blamed this on him to his face, he would _never_ go near Annabeth again. You have some nerve, McLean.” He turned and walked away, towards the lobby.  
  
_What the hell was happening here?_ Suddenly Piper was the one who felt like crying.  
  
She hurried after Jason, desperate to make sense of all this. She had taken yet another wrong turn, and now Jason was mad at her. Again.  
  
She caught up to Jason at the coffee bar. He was stirring cream into his coffee, jaw set stiffly.  
  
“Percy – he needs to be more careful,” she said. “You need to tell him – “  
  
“I don’t have to tell him shit,” Jason retorted angrily. “If Annabeth doesn’t want him to know, then it’s her decision, not ours.”  
  
She helped herself to her own cup of coffee. “He has to know _something_.”  
  
“Fine. You tell him and risk Annabeth’s wrath. You can be the one to invade Annabeth’s privacy. I want nothing to do with this.”  
  
“Fine. I will,” Piper snarled, and spun on her heel. Cup clenched in her hand, she marched to the boys’ room, and knocked on the door.  
  
Percy answered the door a moment later. When he saw Piper standing there, his brow furrowed. “Jason’s not here right now – “  
  
“I know that. I came to talk to you.” She stepped inside without waiting to be invited in. “You need to know something about Annabeth’s relationship with Luke. It was bad. Really bad. He was verbally and emotionally abusive towards her. And she has a really hard time escaping it.”  
  
“I can understand that,” Percy commented dryly. “Is she okay? She kind of rushed off last night after I asked her – “  
  
Piper remembered what Jason had said about Percy having a guilt complex. “She’s – she’s fine. She just clams up when Luke’s mentioned. So, just, tread carefully, I guess.”  
  
“Okay. Yeah, I’ll be careful.” Percy ran his fingers through his messy hair. “If she doesn’t want to talk about it, she doesn’t have to. She knows that, right?” he added, sounding slightly anxious.  
  
“Yeah,” Piper said with a small smile, “she does.”  
  
“Okay.” He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “I really didn’t mean for her to feel pushed. Shit. I was just – I’d just spilled a bunch of shit about my stepdad, and I just – I was scared she would think I was fucked up. I mean, I am fucked up, but I don’t want her to think it. I don’t want her to realize it.”  
  
“I think we’re all a little fucked up, to be honest,” Piper said slowly. “In our own ways. I have commitment issues, major ones. Jason is a serious perfectionist and a people-pleaser. Annabeth…well, I guess that’s not really my place to say.” She had a feeling she was treading on dangerous ground now. Annabeth would not be pleased if she knew that Piper had come barging in to warn Percy off asking questions about Luke. And Jason was right – this really wasn’t Piper’s place, this wasn’t her business. Annabeth hadn’t asked her to do it. She had definitely crossed a line. “Look,” she continued on. “Annabeth didn’t ask me to do this. This is all me. And it’s really none of my business. I’m sorry for bugging you.”  
  
“Um, okay. I don’t actually know what’s going on, but that’s cool I guess.”  
  
Piper tried a smile. “I’ll see you downstairs.”  
  
“Yeah…okay…”  
  
She left him leaning in the doorway, looking extremely confused.  
  
_I’m going to fuck everything up_, she thought as she headed back to hers and Annabeth’s room, finally taking a sip of coffee. _I’m going to fuck everything up for Annabeth and Percy, and I’m going to fuck everything up between Jason and me_.  
  
Annabeth seemed to be doing better by the time they boarded the bus, even though she was clearly tired. Percy watched her, looking as if he wanted to approach her and say something, but he hung back uncertainly. Piper noticed that the Calypso and Hazel kept glancing over at Annabeth, looking a little concerned. No wonder, Piper realized. Annabeth was usually more talkative, laughing and joking with her and Percy. Today she was quiet and withdrawn.  
  
Annabeth curled up on the bus seat and reclined the back. She closed her eyes, and Piper hoped she’d get some rest. Frank announced that the bus ride to Nazca would be about two and a half hours. Piper turned around to look at Jason and Percy, who were seated behind her and Annabeth. Jason stared back at her stonily, while Percy just looked upset. Piper’s stomach curdled. She couldn’t remember the last time she and Jason had been in a fight. Actually, no, she could. Her stomach sank. It had been quite awhile – since high school, actually.  
  
“I’m sorry,” she mouthed to Jason.  
  
He shrugged at her.  
  
She groaned and stood up. Luckily the bus hadn’t started moving yet. She grabbed Jason’s hand and attempted to haul him to his feet, but he shifted his full weight so that it was like trying to move a very angry boulder. Percy shrugged and shoved Jason up. “Go talk to Piper.”  
  
Jason reluctantly followed Piper to the back of the bus, where it was empty and quiet.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Piper said sincerely once they had sat down. “You were right. It wasn’t any of my business and I was just butting in. I was just – it was so hard seeing Annabeth have a panic attack like that. But I was really rude about Percy, and I stuck my nose where it didn’t belong. I made sure he knew it was all me, that Annabeth didn’t ask me to go talk to him.”  
  
Jason sighed, just barely audible over the bus as it pulled onto the ill-paved street. “You’re just – you’re so impulsive, borderline reckless sometimes. I like to think we balance each other out – “  
  
“We do!”  
  
“For the most part. But it helps if you listen to me. You can’t let your anger carry you away like that. We’ve talked about this before, Pipes. You tend to act off of emotion.”  
  
“Well, I am a Pisces,” she joked weakly.  
  
“And I’m a Cancer. What’s your point?”  
  
She sighed. “No, you’re right. I just reacted, and that was stupid. And I don’t want to fuck things up for any of us. I’m sorry.”  
  
“Okay.” He sighed too. “I do get where you’re coming from, believe it or not. I know you’re really protective of Annabeth, and I get that. I’m protective of you and Percy.”  
  
“I’m sorry for attacking him like that. It was completely unprovoked and uncalled for.”  
  
“Yeah, it was.”  
  
“It won’t happen again,” she promised. “I really am sorry.”  
  
“Yeah, I know. It’s okay. I think we’re all a little moody. We haven’t gotten a lot of sleep the last few nights, and we’ve been on the go. Plus, I’m sure there’s some jet lag going on.” He gave her a small smile. “We’ll get past this. This isn’t even close to the worst fight we’ve ever had.”  
  
“Ugh. Don’t remind me.”  
  
His lips twitched. “It won’t be like that time. We won’t let it.”  
  
“Good,” Piper breathed a sigh of relief. “Because that time was horrible. I really thought our friendship was over.”  
  
“There are many other ways our friendship could be ruined. This is not one of them.”  
  
She held his gaze for a long moment. Something told her they weren’t talking about Percy and Annabeth anymore. “Boundaries might be pushed on this trip,” she said carefully. “Boundaries that I didn’t even realize existed until recently.”  
  
“Maybe they were always there,” Jason suggested, “and you just never noticed.”  
  
_Oh_.  
  
She supposed he would be more aware of the boundaries of their friendship than her. He was a guy. She’d read an article somewhere that stated that guys had no problem fantasizing about their female friends, even if she was their best friend. She knew instinctively that if her shirt gaped in the front when she leaned over, any male in the vicinity would be craning their head for a peek. An episode of _Seinfeld_ had even been dedicated to that. But somehow, it had never occurred to her to apply any of this information to Jason. But maybe it was time she started.  
  
“I don’t want things to be weird between us,” she said slowly. “And I don’t know what’s going to happen on this trip. But I know I don’t want our friendship to fall apart. There have been times when you’re the only good thing in my life.”  
  
“I feel the same way,” he told her, blue eyes meeting her hazel ones. “I feel like we should put our friendship first and foremost. It’s definitely one of the most important things in my life, if not _the_ most important thing. _You_ are so damn important to me, and I can’t lose you, Piper.”  
  
She nodded. Her head was swimming now, but she thought she understood exactly what he was saying. Their friendship was more important than any attraction that might be cropping up between them. And there _was_ an attraction. She could feel it even now, as he shifted a little closer to speak more softly, more intensely, and his thigh brushed against hers.  
  
“I understand,” she said, forcing some strength into her voice, trying to ignore how warm and solid his leg felt against hers. “I don’t even want to think about not having you in my life, Jason. That month in high school was pretty much the worst of my life, and I don’t want to go through that again. Things are different on this trip, anyway. The rules that have applied to our regular life no longer feel like they apply out here, but this isn’t Vegas. What happens here won’t stay here. It’ll just follow us back to California.”  
  
Jason nodded. “We can’t – our friendship can’t change. It can’t.”  
  
Piper got to her feet, feeling her stomach sink dangerously. “We’re in agreement.” She offered him a tight smile and made her way down the rocking bus, taking care not to teeter into people’s laps. She knew she shouldn’t be upset by their conversation. She had no real reason to be. The conversation had been rational and logical. It had made perfect sense. Their reasoning had made perfect sense. So why did she feel so…disappointed?  
  
_I fucking hate this_, she thought as she collapsed in her seat next to a sleeping Annabeth. _I can’t believe this is affecting me like this. It’s not like I’m in love with Jason. I’m just the teensiest bit attracted to him. It’s nothing more than that. It can’t be_.  
  
But somehow, she couldn’t quite make herself believe that. And she couldn’t help but notice that it was a long time before Jason resumed his seat behind her.  
  


* * *

It was just past 8:30 that morning when the bus pulled into Nazca. It didn’t look much more impressive than Paracas or Huacachina, just another town out in the Nazca Desert. Everything seemed a little dusty from the desert sands, and for every building that looked shiny and new, there was another building that appeared dull and rundown. Nevertheless, it was with some excitement that the group disembarked in front of the Nazca Airport. They would be boarding the tour planes in groups of three and four for a twenty-five minute tour of the Nazca Lines. Frank had on-hand some anti-nausea medication, and passed the tablets around.  
  
“Trust me,” he said to the group at large when he spotted hesitation from Nico and Calypso, “you’re going to want it. Your stomach will be in your throat in about twenty seconds. The plane is going to do a lot of sharp banking, nose dives, and possibly some turns in order to give you guys the best views of the Lines.”  
  
Everyone popped a tablet.  
  
Nico, Hazel, Will, and Reyna were the first group to go up in the plane. The others sat in hard chairs in the tiny airport, watching as the small plane took off with a roar of engines.  
  
“Any fun facts about the Nazca Lines?” Percy asked Jason. Jason had been quiet the rest of the bus ride, and had barely said a word since they’d stepped off the bus. But he wasn’t alone. Piper knew she hadn’t really said anything either. At this point, Annabeth, who’d gone through nightmares and a panic attack in the past eight hours, seemed to be in better spirits than the other two. Piper had come to the conclusion that both she and Jason had major issues. They had agreed on something that never should have needed an agreement, and now they were both sulking because they had agreed on it. This was just getting freaking stupid.  
  
Jason cleared his throat. “They’re called geoglyphs. No one’s really sure how the lines got carved into the sand. There are roughly 300 figures, and they’re from ancient times. New lines are constantly being discovered. And they all portray different things – animals, humans, nature, that sort of thing. And some are as much as thirty miles long. They’re a mystery that no one has ever figured out, but they’re certainly fascinating.”  
  
Frank nodded. “Nicely put. The ancient Peruvians did have technology available to them in order to draw the lines in the sand. What the reason is, no one’s quite sure. But it’s a popular topic to discuss.”  
  
It was after 9am by the time the first flight returned. Piper, Annabeth, Jason, and Percy boarded the next flight.  
  
They buckled up, and the pilot greeted them in English. “Ready for a stomach-dropping ride?”  
  
“Sounds good to me,” Percy grinned. He looked the most enthusiastic, but Annabeth was perking up as well now that they were nestled in the plane. Piper had ended up between Annabeth and Jason, which was an arrangement she had _not_ wanted. She didn’t want to feel Jason’s body beside her, or to inhale his cologne, or think about how damn good he looked when he needed a shave. She didn’t want to be aware of him, and she sure as hell didn’t want to think about their conversation. If she and Jason were going to more or less admit their attraction to each other and then friend zone the other, the least either of them could do was ignore each other for a day or so. But nope, that clearly wasn’t going to happen. And so Piper was stuck thinking about how fucked up this all was.  
  
Exactly what she’d wanted to do on a nauseating flight over ancient sand drawings.  
  
The plane taxied down the runway, and launched into flight. Everything seemed fine – and then the plane banked so hard to the right that Annabeth was thrown into Percy, Piper was thrown into Annabeth, and Jason was thrown into Piper.   
  
The pilot pointed out the first group of lines, and everyone craned their head to peer out the plane’s windows. The lines really were massive, etched so deep into the clay-red sand that they could have been branded in. Even though taking pictures was frowned upon, Piper pulled out her phone and began snapping photos of the geoglyphs. She knew she only had seconds to get decent pictures, and so she planned her steps out moments ahead. She made sure she took the time to actually look at the lines with her own eyes instead of through the lenses of her phone’s camera.  
  
The plane banked again, this time to the left, and Piper was flung into Jason. She glanced over at Annabeth, who hadn’t shifted at all. She fought back a grin when she saw Percy’s arm around her friend, holding her in place.  
  
Another bank to the right, a sudden swoop, and then what felt like a flip in midair. Despite the medication, Piper’s stomach was definitely beginning to feel a little sour. It didn’t help that she kept getting thrown one way and then another.  
  
As if he knew what she was thinking, Jason carefully wedged his arm around her.  
  
“Just to keep you in place,” he explained when she raised her eyebrows at him. “So you won’t hurt yourself or, you know, me.”  
  
Her lips twitched but she didn’t complain. This wasn’t a very good start to their pact, but she felt as if these were extenuating circumstances, and certainly platonic friends could put their arms around each other every now and then.  
  
The pilot spoke through his mic: “We’re coming up on the famous astronaut figure.”  
  
Piper peered down, and sure enough an odd, lumpy humanoid figure was right beneath them. She raised her phone and held her finger down on the white button.  
  
By the time the plane landed, they were all dizzy and a little sick, but they were also bubbling with excitement as they stumbled out of the plane. Frank and Reyna had cold bottles of ginger ale waiting for them. Piper eagerly sipped on the soda, and within minutes felt her stomach begin to calm down. She was aware of the remaining group – Calypso, Leo, and Reyna – boarding the flight, but she was too focused on the cold bottle in her hand and the solid ground beneath her feet.  
  
“That was incredible!” Jason gushed. “I remember reading about the Nazca Lines in a history class in sixth grade, but I never actually thought I’d get to see them.” He grinned at her so excitedly that she thought her chest might burst with happiness. “I’m so glad you convinced me to come along on the trip. This has already been amazing.”  
  
She grinned back. “And it’s not even close to being over yet.”  
  
It was almost 11am by the time the last plane had landed. More bottles of ginger ale were passed around, and then they boarded the bus again to drive the short distance to their hotel.  
  
This time, the majority of the hotel rooms consisted of three cramped beds. Piper and Annabeth would be rooming with Hazel. Percy and Jason would be with Leo. Nico, Will, and Frank would all be sharing a room, which left Calypso with Reyna in one of the few two-bed rooms.  
  
Piper felt a little awkward as she surveyed the room. She had only spent a little bit of time talking with Hazel, and even though there was only a one-year age difference, she suddenly felt ancient compared to the other girl. Plus, there was just something about Hazel that rang of old-fashioned morals, something that Piper _definitely_ did not adhere to.  
  
Hazel smiled brightly. “Which bed do you guys want?”  
  
“You can have the one by the window,” Annabeth offered.  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Positive.” Annabeth smiled encouragingly at her, and Hazel plopped her backpack on the bed.  
  
Piper tugged at one of the gold bangles dangling from her wrist. Hazel seemed really nice, but she honestly wasn’t sure what to say to this girl.   
  
Hazel broke the silence, however, by bluntly asking Piper, “What was up with all that _tension_ between you and Jason this morning?”  
  
Annabeth frowned. “Yeah, I picked up on it too.”  
  
“You don’t even know the half of it,” Hazel told Annabeth. “You were sleeping during the bus ride, right? Well, Piper pulled Jason to the back of the bus, where they had what looked like a _very_ intense conversation.”  
  
Piper’s cheeks immediately heated up. “I wouldn’t call it intense…” _Actually, yes I would_. “We just had some things to discuss.”  
  
“Like _what_?” Annabeth demanded. “Spill!”  
  
“Like…well…our friendship.”  
  
“Thanks, I love when you give me vague answers. It really helps me understand the situation better.”  
  
“Aren’t we supposed to be meeting the others in a few minutes so we can have lunch? We should go.”  
  
“You’re fucking out of an answer,” Annabeth informed her. “And Hazel and I are going to get it out of you, one way or another.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you get a chance, please check out my new story, "Shield You From The Waves". It's Percabeth with some background Jasiper 😊


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